Ocean's Daughter
by labellebeaucoup
Summary: They say people come into our lives when we need them the most. But Olivia's never needed anyone and Fitz - he doesn't know just how much he needs saved.
1. Raised By A Good Time

"Damnit!" Olivia bent her knee, eyeing the large, scraped patch of skin already turning a nasty shade of purple. Blood trickled down her skin, mixing with the top of her sock to colour the fabric a light shade of pink. The wheels of her black and orange Hano Annex spun noisily in the air. Her handlebars had landed in a patch of dry dirt.

"Ya gotta learn to jump those curbs, Pope!" The average height teen, head shaved, called - feet on the ground as he stood, straddling his own bike.

"I fucking know how to jump a fucking curb, asshole!" She slammed her hand against the rough concrete, grimacing at the pain that shot through her bones.

"It's not the sidewalk's fault."

"Shut the fuck up, Harrison." She felt her cheeks burning. It was bad enough that she had wiped out, but to wipe out in front of the guys? That was unacceptable.

"Jesus, Pope. Lighten up." Harrison dropped his weight to his seat, feet still planted firmly on the ground. Olivia shook her head, shifting her eyes toward the grey and white bird flying overhead - anything to distract from the tears that were hot and heavy in her eyes. All she could think about was a seven year old girl, pigtails and overalls, begging to ride with the boys but being turned down because she was a girl. Then a fifteen year old invited along for rides because the boys all thought she was hot and a sixteen year old cast out once more because she was riding better than the guys. At sixteen, the year her parents divorced, Harrison brought her into the fold - away from the immature high school kids she had rode with. Two years later, at the ripe old age of eighteen, she wasn't about to let Harrison see her cry again.

"Go on. I'm done for today."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Margot probably needs help at the store." She fumbled with the straps under her chin. Hands shaking, she gave up and placed her hands back to the warm concrete, shoving herself into a standing position. Stomping into the breezy, semi-tall green grass, she bent and grabbed the handlebars of her bike. Yanking the bike into a standing position, she swung her leg over it - ignoring the burning and tingling in her knee, and rested on the hard, leather seat. Sneakerclad feet on the pedals, she took off toward the centre of town.

The hot sun beat against her skin and sweat trickled down her forehead, stinging her eyes. She paid no attention to the discomfort, eyes trained on the throng of people she passed. They were heading the wrong way. Tourists didn't leave the boardwalk or the beach. Veering past a bright pink ball and the toddler chasing after it, she jumped onto the boardwalk, body jerking as her tires cleared the slight height difference between the wooden planks and sidewalk. Tires bounced noisily against the wood as she pedalled toward the blue and whtie shop dead centre of the boardwalk.

Hopping from her bike, Olivia walked it around to the side and leaned it against the old building. Fingers going to the strap under her chin, she bit her lip when the buckle pinched her index finger. Straps dangling to her shoulders, she lifted the black helmet from her head and rested it on her bike's handlebars. Treading across the small patch of brown, crunchy grass back to the boardwalk, she stopped in front of the glass doors of the store. Across the street a shiny, turquoise tandem sat with a placard balanced on the handlebars. _Bright & New. Perfect 4 U! _She shook her head. Stephen's doing if she had to guess.

The rusty, metal garage style door was lifted, offering a view of the inside of the bicycle shop. Tables lined the open floor, bicycles in various states of assembly on nearly every table. Guys moved throughout the space, grabbing tools from tall boxes that lined the right wall, or leaning over their workspaces. Holding a hand perpendicular over her eyes, she squinted. There was Huck, slumped over his workstation on the left wall. She didn't have to be in the shop to know that Huck was sighing and slamming tools against his workbench. Or that, despite the yellowing paper hanging on the wall that said, '_Touch anything and die'_, Huck wouldn't hurt a fly. He'd beat himself up over his work, but he was a sweetheart to everyone else. Stephen stood at the workbench behind Huck, a pair of khaki shorts hanging low on his hips and his shirt tossed over the stool by him. His hair hung low over his forehead, weighted down by sweat. A wrench grasped in his hand, he was bent low over the bike he was working on.

A hint of bright blue drew her attention to the front of the shop. An older couple stood to the side, watching a little girl do circles on a bike with training wheels. The man standing by them, glasses askew and hands waving enthusiastically, Olivia knew was finishing the sale. He was telling stories of growing up on a bike - of the confidence bikes give. His sales pitch Olivia knew by heart as well as she knew that it had been two years since David Rosen had been on a bike - since he had felt the freedom of flying through the air, landing stunts no one else could quite manage. Unlike her, David had stayed completely grounded. They just had different ways of grieving. Turning her head when their eyes met, her hand finally met with the metal bar across the door. Part of her grieving had been to avoid David at all costs. She wasn't about to break that streak.

_Ding. Ding. _The bell above the door signalled her entrance. The small boutique wasn't too busy at the moment. A couple teens browsed the clearance rack in the corner, taking turns holding bathing suits in front of their bodies. Hanna stood by the mirror with a middle-aged woman - complimenting her figure in the skinny jeans she was admiring. The lady would leave with a few pair. Hanna was just that good.

"Which one do you think I should get?" The gangly teen called to Olivia as she was heading toward the back. Looking from the white, cutout one piece to the frilly, neon pink two-piece, Olivia tilted her head and pursed her lips.

"White. Simplicity will draw all attention to you and that white is going to look amazing with that tan you've got." There was a time not too long ago that Olivia wouldn't have felt comfortable giving that type of advice. Hell, she wouldn't have even known half of what she had just said back then. A self-professed tomboy, she was a latecomer to the world of girls. After a nod from both girls at the clearance rack, Olivia continued to the back and down the tiny hall, if it could be called that, to the office. Standing on the tips of her toes, stretching her arm above her head until she felt pressure along her side, she swept her fingers across the molding over the door. A brass coloured key thudded to the dark grey carpet. Olivia bent, grasped the key and inserted it into the door. Twisting the key, she threw the door open - watching as it bounced off the ugly, lime green wall. As she took a seat in the plush, leather swivel chair, Hanna's voice drifted into the small office. The ding of the register told Olivia that she was ringing out at least one of the customers.

"You're in early." Hanna's blonde head peeked around the doorway minutes later just as Olivia was opening the store's book on the desk. The fuzzy, green and orange pens bounced in their Hello Kitty container.

"I woke up early and didn't feel like riding."

Hanna's head tilt and furrowed brow told Olivia that she hadn't been believed. Not that she had expected Hanna to believe her. Riding was Olivia's escape. If she wasn't working, Margot had hired her at the beginning of the summer to do the store's books, she was on that bike of hers.

"Margot called earlier. She wants you to meet her at Beachside for dinner."

"I guess." Olivia actually liked her stepmother. Most of the time. She liked her enough to work at her boutique and to stay in Birmingram. They weren't friends. Not by any means. Olivia was a dedicated scholar with several acceptance letters to Ivy League schools and a love of the town hobby. She wasn't shy or outcast by any means - able to balance good grades and a decent social life. Margot though...Margot was tall, blonde, and stunning. She was business smart, not academic smart, and every bit the fashionable woman Olivia knew she would never be. There was no ill-will just a differing of personalities.

"They're having a party by the dunes tonight."

Olivia shook her head, plucking a fuzzy green pen from its container. Pen balanced between the fingers of her right hand, she used her left hand to begin punching numbers into the giant calculator on the desk. Pulling her lip between her teeth, she chewed on the forever chapped skin. It was a habit of hers whenever she was working with numbers.

"Those are always lame."

"You just don't want to see David."

"As if David is going to be there," Olivia scoffed, rolling her eyes. David never went to any of the parties anymore. He always had an open invitation - everyone did. That was the great thing about living in the small seaside town, even making up for the tourist trappings; everyone was invited. They were practically a close knit family. At least that's how the residents described their town.

"You know avoiding each other isn't helping anything, right?"

Olivia's glare only caused Hanna's grin to grow. Olivia knew that Hanna knew she was right. She was also aware that Hanna knew Olivia wouldn't dispute what had been said. She knew that she would eventually have to speak to David, but why ruin the comfortable routine they had fallen into? Besides, David clearly didn't want to talk to her. He had a habit of walking in the other direction whenever he saw her.

"He doesn't want to talk to me so…" Olivia shrugged, scribbling in her neat, blocky handwriting across the store's book.

"Oh for the love of -" Hanna threw her manicured hands in the air, "both of you are fucking bitches!"

_Ding. Ding. _

Olivia giggled at the sound of the door opening and the reddening of Hanna's tanned cheeks, a look of mortification on her face. If she was lucky, the customer hadn't heard her outburst. Just as Hanna had turned, a pale brunette decked all in black despite the warm, summer day, entered the office. Black elbow and knee pads stuck out from her sleeves and shorts.

"Who's a fucking bitch?"

"Liv and David!" The blush on Hanna's face disappeared and her brown eyes sparkled as her straight, white teeth were revealed by her smile.

"Oh. They are bitches."

"Quinn!" Olivia shook her head, ponytail swaying, and clutched her chest - looking well and truly offended. Quinn had been Liv's first best friend. They understood each other in ways no one else could or did. Both exceptionally smart, although Quinn was more street smart than anything, and both gravitating toward traditionally male hobbies, their friendship was an inevitability. Where Olivia had taken to bikes; however, Quinn had fallen in love with a skateboard. She was easily one of the best skaters Olivia had ever seen - even if Quinn was one of only two Birmingram residents who even owned a skateboard. Huck was good, but it wasn't his first love.

"It's been what? Two years? Woman the fuck up and talk to him." The end of Quinn's sentence was punctuated by the loud pop of the pink bubble she had blown. Olivia frowned - she had warned Quinn that gum wasn't good for her teeth. Of course, that had earned an eye roll and an exclamation of "Mom!" from her friend.

"I'll talk to him when I'm ready." With a sigh, Olivia capped her pen and tossed it with a clank into the metal container. Grasping the edge of the multi-lined store records book, she slammed it closed. There was no point in pretending to work with Hanna and Quinn there. She would just have to come in early tomorrow to finish payroll.

"Whatever." Quinn plopped into the one folding chair in the room. There really wasn't room for anything else. "Are you guys going to the party tonight? There's going to be a keg."

"Oh yay. Stale beer."

"We'll be there." Hanna threw a look Olivia's way - a look that had Olivia rolling her eyes once more.

"No repeats of last year, though."

Quinn smirked at Olivia's warning. "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"If you and Huck go behind the dunes, you better remember where you put your clothes! Olivia and I are not dragging your drunk, naked ass home again."

"Lose your clothes behind the dunes one time and they never let you forget." Quinn held her hands before her body, fingers spread apart, and scrunched her nose while rolling her eyes.

"You have problems, Quinn. You really do."

"But you still love me, Livvie." Quinn blew kisses at Olivia, using her best baby voice and tossing her wavy hair over her shoulder.

"Why? Why are we friends?"

Hanna snorted at Olivia's question, turning on her heel to head to the front of the store upon hearing the door open.

"Because I make you look like a badass on a bike and you make me a skateboard goddess."

"You're conceited."

"Probably."

"I'll see you tonight, Quinn." Olivia stood from her chair, shooing Quinn from the office. She locked the door behind her, putting the key back above the door. Walking back down the hallway, she wiggled her fingers at Hanna - the blonde was busy discussing the merits of wedges with a customer. The door dinged once more as Olivia and Quinn left the store, walking out to a slightly cooler evening. The sun hung low in the sky over their shoulders and a cool breeze whipped their hair.

"Want to grab something to eat?" Quinn was grabbing her skateboard - she had leaned the neon green and black board against the side of the store by Olivia's bike.

"I'm meeting Margot at Beachside." Olivia shrugged, using her foot to push her kickstand up. Straddling her bike, she lowered herself onto the hard seat. Placing her feet on the pedals, she waved at Quinn as she took off down the boardwalk. It was a short distance from Hildegard's (Olivia hated the name of Margot's shop) to the end of the boardwalk where Beachside sat. The family owned restaurant was a staple of Olivia's childhood and furthered her belief that people in the town were awful at names. Sitting at the very end of the boardwalk, it was a white wood siding building that had definitely taken a few beatings from the weather. Metal patio furniture in an assortment of bright colours sat outside the restaurant - a few people in varying stages of sunburn enjoying their meals. Olivia shook her head, rolling her front wheel into the bike rack just outside the doors. Tourists.

Placing her helmet on the seat of her bike, she strode to the door. Hand on the bar, she shoved the door opened. Inside, she was greeted by a blast of cool air that caused goosebumps to form on her bare arms. Waiters in dark jeans and colourful Beachside '_Try our Shakes!'_ shirts walked around the packed restaurant. The always packed restaurant. Scanning the tables and booths, her gaze was interrupted by a tall brunet with a goofy smile.

"You going to the dunes tonight?" Zeke skidded to a stop before her. He was balancing a tray of drinks in one hand. Never quite athletic - or good with his hands, for that matter, he had decided to work for Beachside rather than the cycle shop. Trying to make it sound like his own decision, it was no secret that David would have never hired him in the first place.

"Apparently," Olivia mumbled, trying to look around Zeke.

"Sweet. You can meet my new girl."

She tried not to roll her eyes. Zeke's new girl was probably some leggy, naive tourist he had just met. He'd take her to the party, introduce her to his friends giving her a false sense of a future with him, then he would get her drunk and take her behind the dunes. His usual M.O.

"There's always a new girl." Olivia shrugged.

"This one's different."

"You always say that."

"Because they are always different." Zeke winked, shifting the tray of drinks to his other hand.

"What? Different names?" Olivia laughed at Zeke's deer in the headlights look. They were friends - she knew without a doubt when he was full of shit. Which with Zeke was most of the time. "Have you seen Margot?"

"Back left. Usual booth. Let me drop these off and I'll bring you a vanilla Coke."

"Thanks, Zeke." She walked around him, down the tight walking space between tables and to the booth nestled in the back corner of the left-side wall. She slid into the sun-warmed, cracking turquoise leather. The cracks rubbed uncomfortably against her skin as she slid to the middle. Sunlight streamed in through the large, bay window by the table. Outside, the sky was turning a deep shade of orange.

"I'm glad you got my message! Your father has the baby tonight." Margot was always perky. Always. At one point, it had caused tension between the two. Or at least one-sided tension on Olivia's part. After years of listening to her parents' arguments and her mother's stern, what Olivia had come to term 'bitchy', push toward Olivia to always be the best - even if it meant abandoning her social life, Olivia had been anything but perky when she had first met Margot. And so she had avoided her new stepmother at all costs during those early days.

"Is Sylvia going to be okay?" Olivia widened her eyes. She loved her father, she really did. Eli Pope was not the kind of father who changed diapers and comforted crying babies, though. He had named his daughter, Sylvia, for crying out loud! It was a name Margot hadn't been fond of, but Eli had insisted. And when Eli wanted something… Olivia had tried to talk her father out of the name. He was an English Lit professor - he _knew _the tragic backstory behind little Sylvia's namesake. Still, he had saddled the baby with the name.

"She had been fed, diapered, and was asleep when I dropped her off." Margot tucked a platinum lock behind her ear, her blue eyes darting across the room. She was nervous. Olivia didn't blame her.

"Dad say when he's coming back yet?" Olivia reached to her right, accepting the tall, clear plastic cup Zeke was holding toward her. Beads of condensation exploded under her fingertips. Zeke didn't stay to talk, scurrying off after tossing a straw on the table. Grasping the straw in her hand, Olivia hit it against the table a few times until the red end began to peek through the paper. Using her fingers to tear the paper away, she made a little ball that she tossed to the side as she put her straw in her drink. Wrapping her lips around the end of the straw, she sipped at the cool drink.

"He needs more time to himself." Margot sighed. Eli's second marriage had quickly began to fall apart after Sylvia's birth - an event that shocked no one but Eli and Margot. After all, Maya had long been outspoken about Olivia's arrival and its strain on her marriage to Eli. Olivia knew both her parents were self-centred and career driven. Neither one wanted to give up any time that could be spent working on their careers to raise a baby. And so, Olivia had grown up knowing she was a mistake. A mistake to be molded in her parents' image - or so they thought. She had turned out to be bad at molding.

"Did he say how long?" Olivia's eyes scanned the room as her stomach began to rumble. Coffee and granola bars could only hold her over for so long. She had a bad habit of not eating actual meals. Finally, when her eyes landed on Zeke she lifted her hand and waved him over.

"When he finishes his -"

"Book." Olivia shook her head. Her father had some grandiose dream of being the next Stephen King or J.K. Rowling. It was ridiculous. And he had been working on this damn book since she was a kid.

"Please tell me you're not changing your order." Zeke slid into the booth beside Olivia, his knee knocking against hers. Kicking his feet out, he rested against the back of the seat.

"I haven't ordered."

"Bacon cheeseburger, no tomato. Onion rings and a nutella shake."

"I know we're friends, but…"

"Server brain, Pope." Zeke tapped the side of his head, looking toward Margot for confirmation. The blonde's nod and grin was all he needed before continuing, "And I got Margot's tuna melt, extra onion and pickles, onion rings and chocolate shake."

"This your girlfriend, Johnson?" The gruff, smoker's voice of Mr. Ballenstin - Beachside's middle-aged owner, had both Olivia and Zeke gagging.

"Ew. God no!"

"Disgusting dude! That'd be like kissing my sister. Fricking messed up."

"Well sorry."

"Ugh." Zeke shook his head again, sliding out of the booth. "I'm going to check on your food and try not to puke along the way."

Shrugging his shoulders apologetically, Mr. Ballenstin disappeared behind Zeke. Olivia took another sip of her soda, her phone buzzing in her pocket. She didn't bother to check it. Her mother and father were the only two that ever called her on it and she didn't talk to them unless she was in the mood to. Which wasn't often.

"Are you going to the big party tonight?" Of course Margot knew about the party. Until four years ago, she was still _going _to the parties. Twenty-two seemed to be the cutoff age. When those who had left were finally graduating from college and ready to be 'adults'. Sometimes it made Olivia uncomfortable, though, being reminded that her stepmother was only eight years her senior. Other times; however, it was a godsend. Like right now.

"Quinn and Hanna are dragging me along."

"Quinn isn't going to -" Margot had been instrumental in their quest to get Quinn home the previous year without her parents knowing what had happened. A quest that had involved a rubber goose and scaling a two-story home with a handsy Quinn.

"She's sleeping on the beach if she does."

The conversation was interrupted by Zeke's return. With a flourish, he placed their plates and shakes on the table before them. The smell of the freshly fried onion rings wafted to their noses, causing Olivia's mouth to water. Beachside's shakes and onion rings were famous among the locals - and typically amongst tourists once they left.

"Need anything else?" At the shakes of their heads, Zeke continued with, "Well I'm going to walk away before someone thinks I'm dating Pope again."

"Stop trying to spoil my appetite," Olivia called at his retreating back, lifting a hot, greasy onion ring from her plate.

Olivia and Margot finished their meals a half hour later, avoiding any further talk of Eli. After, Margot decided to take advantage of her Sylvia-free night and meet her friends. Olivia, meanwhile, stood in her bedroom, hands on her hips as she surveyed her closet. She had never been good at picking outfits for these things. It was too warm for jeans and besides, being on the beach meant sand and water everywhere. Sundresses were also out. The guys weren't above playing pranks and she wasn't a dress girl anyway. Biting her lip, she dropped her hands from her hips and turned her back to the closet. She had no clue what she was going to wear and only an hour to decide before Hildegard's closed and she would be meeting up with Hanna and Quinn. God, she absolutely _hated _parties.

* * *

"Are you absolutely certain this is what you wish to do?"

Fitz sighed, his head resting against the black leather of his cousin's shiny red Jeep Wrangler. The question was one his grandmother had asked a handful of times since he had approached her with the request of spending his summer in the states. In California. With his cousins - his mother's family. He had been prepared to argue his case. Even being the favourite grandchild couldn't make his grandmother forget her hatred of his mother and the unease she felt toward the woman's family - a family she had never met. So his grandmother's instant approval after questioning his motives came as a bit of a shock. She agreed, though, that a summer of being normal would be good for him.

"Yes, gran."

A sigh crossed the line and a smile crossed his face. Slowly, but surely she was relenting. When he had first proposed that he take the trip alone, she hadn't been too happy. It was the one part of his plan that she had called absurd and unheard of. Of course, with a little bit of charm he had gotten his way and boarded one of their private jets, quietly and by himself.

"If anyone even remotely begins to assume who you are -"

"I will call and come home immediately." He was the only one ever brave enough to cut her off mid sentence. Or foolish enough depending on how you looked at it.

"Be careful, Fitzgerald."

"I will, gran. I promise."

She had every right to worry and despite the public image she had cultivated, his grandmother was a worrier. But she hadn't always been that way. The grandmother of his childhood was kind, warm-hearted, quick to laugh, witty and loving of her family nearly to a fault. She was still all those things, but ten years ago she had added perpetual worrier to the list. Everything had changed the day his parents' car had crashed outside Amsterdam. The whole country - the _world _had mourned with his family and he had suddenly found himself in a role he certainly hadn't expected to fill at ten years old. That was why he needed this summer holiday so badly. He craved normal the way some kids craved candy.

"Call me when you can." It had broken his grandmother's heart to lose her eldest child - her only son. And that broken heart had turned into a protectiveness of her oldest grandson that he generally welcomed. So he found himself agreeing to her request. A request they both knew was more command than anything.

"Of course."

"Have fun. I love you."

"I love you." He smiled, finger tapping his phone's screen as he ended the call. They didn't say 'I love you's' often in his family. They just knew. Lifting his ass off the seat just a hair, he slid his phone into the back pocket of his khaki shorts. His gaze drifted to the window - or where the window would be if Zeke had doors on his Jeep. They were still on the highway with long stretches of dark asphalt still ahead.

"It's cool having you here, dude." One of Zeke's hands rested on the steering wheel while the other rested on the gearshift in the middle. A pair of aviator sunglasses covered his eyes and the wind - pouring in all around them thanks to the missing doors and missing roof, blew through his brown hair.

"Yeah. I needed a change." Fitz finally tore his gaze from the passing trees dotted here and there and the yellowing grass. He narrowed his eyes at his cousin. They were roughly the same age. Zeke was about six months younger. Both had inherited their looks from their mothers' side of the family. Camille, Zeke's mother, was Fitz's mother's older sister. According to Fitz's mom, they had been close before she had married his dad and Camille had moved from Connecticut to some beachtown in California. Danbury had been just small enough that Camille had had to endure enough gossip about her sister's husband and family, making her move across the continent to a place where no one knew her or her family. And that was where she had decided to settle down, where she met her husband, and where Zeke had been born.

"Mom said I'm not supposed to tell anyone who you actually are."

"I'm just your cousin."

"We both know that's not exactly true." Zeke stole a glance at Fitz just as he dropped his head, a curl flopping into his eye.

"Different lives," Fitz shrugged. He didn't know a lot about this side of his family. What little he did know, he had only recently learned when he had called his aunt with his request to spend the summer with her. His uncle Slate was a fisherman who spent a couple weeks at sea before coming home for a week. Aunt Camille taught history at the local elementary. They were hard workers who sometimes struggled. It would be quite different from his silver spoon lifestyle.

"Yeah," Zeke agreed, "But oh well. You're here now and we can tear shit up."

"Tear shite up?"

"Yeah. Teach Mr. Proper how to be a wild child!" Zeke's hoot was lost in the wind, but not before it earned a chuckle from his cousin. Fitz had already been dubbed the wild child of his family by many. Bucking against tradition was part of his growing up. He knew that he would eventually have to calm down and be the man everyone expected him to be, but that day wasn't here quite yet.

The duo drove in silence for the next hour. Zeke fiddled with the radio for a bit before giving up when all he got was static. Fitz, meanwhile, kept his attention on the passing scenery. This was his first time in California. He had googled the state and looked at pictures before coming, but they didn't compare to what he was seeing in person. Steep rolling hills were on either side of the highway. All he could see for miles on Zeke's side was stretches and stretches of blue, moving water.

"How far are we?" Fitz finally asked, suddenly growing antsy. Aunt Camille had sent pictures and the small town they were headed toward had looked beautiful. Seeing the vast expanse of water by the highway had only made his desire to arrive at their destination grow.

"About another twenty."

Fitz nodded, turning his eyes back to the scenery. Zeke went back to fiddling with the radio, settling on some classic rock station. Fitz began tapping his foot in rhythm to the song. The familiar beat was one he had heard at many pubs.

"You know this one?" Zeke's hand went to the volume, turning the song up. One look from Fitz had him chuckling. "Right. British band."

Laughing, Fitz began singing the chorus. The chorus that Zeke joined in on and before they knew it, they were singing along at the top of their lungs. Off-key and way too loud, but they were having fun.

"_Straight to hell!_

_Go straight to hell boys!_

_Go straight to hell!_

_Go straight to hell boys!"_

As the song was ending, Fitz's phone dinged. Pulling it from his back pocket, he frowned at the text on his screen. Unlocking his phone, he tapped on his messaging app and scanned the full text.

_**Heard from Cy that you're on vacay. You didn't tell me! Call me and maybe we can meet up? Love you!**_

He rolled his eyes at the crying and kissing emojis his latest fling had added to the message. Mellie had been fun for a minute, but he was tired of her. She had the right background - heiress daughter of an oil tycoon in Texas and smart enough to be attending Oxford, but she wasn't the marrying type. She was too slutty for that. However, she was convinced that she was going to be his wife. Her father had planted the seeds of that idea when she'd first started fooling around with Fitz. Part of what had Fitz backing away from Mellie so fast was overhearing her father tell a colleague that his daughter was going to be Fitzgerald's wife and would soon be sporting the very title that Fitz's mother had once held. It had taken every last ounce of Fitz's control not to interrupt the man then and there and laugh in his face.

"Not someone you want to hear from?"

"Just some slag who won't bugger off."

"You know here we just say whore."

"I'll work on that."

"So what's her story?" If Zeke and Fitz had anything in common, it was that both were ladies' men. Exceptionally good looking and smart, they had no trouble finding dates or girls to sleep with. And they knew it.

"Just some girl I met at uni. She thinks I'm going to marry her."

"Yikes man. You better put that fire out."

"Believe you me."

* * *

"Aunt Camille!" Fitz wrapped his arms around the petite woman, a pang in his heart at just how similar she looked to his mother.

"Fitzgerald!"

"Please, do call me Fitz." Fitz pulled away, allowing the older woman to hold him at arm's length. Her blue eyes sparkled, her short hair slicked down around her chin, and a smile graced her ruby-red lips.

"You look so much like Catherine."

Fitz swallowed hard, blinking, at the mention of his mother's name. He didn't talk about her often. Occasionally he would mention her name in a speech or to the press, but otherwise, he just didn't talk about her. It hurt too damn much.

"Thank you for allowing me to stay." He finally pulled away from his aunt, grasping the suitcase that was sitting at his feet.

"Anytime! Come on, I'll show you to your room." As they were headed toward the narrow staircase in the next room, Zeke came zooming by in a pair of jeans and a blue shirt.

"I'm late for my shift. Meet at the restaurant around 10, Fitz. There's a party tonight." With that, Zeke was across the room and out the door, slamming it so hard behind him that it shook the pictures on the wall. Pictures of their normal, happy family.

"I've told that boy more times than once…" Camille shook her head, leading Fitz up the staircase and to the first room on the right. Turning the knob, she opened the door and stepped aside - allowing Fitz to enter on his own. The room was much smaller than he was accustomed to, but it was a welcomed change. There wasn't much room for anything other than the twin-sized bed shoved against one wall and the dresser shoved against the other. But the large, floor to ceiling window that overlooked the ocean more than made up for the lack of space. Even now, he could just barely hear the waves crashing against the ocean and he could see seagulls flying high in the clear, blue sky.

"I'm sorry it's a little -"

"It's perfect." He dropped his suitcase on the bed, spinning around to give his aunt another hearty hug. "Thank you!"

"I cook around six if you want to go have a look around. You can eat at Beachside if you want, too. That's where Zeke works. They're famous for their shakes and onion rings."

"That sounds amazing."

"It's settled then -" Camille clapped her hands. "Zeke doesn't work tomorrow. I'll cook dinner for the three of us. You'll get to meet Slate this weekend."

And, after agreeing to Camille's plans for the following day, Fitz found himself walking down a sidewalk, hands in his pockets. At around 1:30, the sun was still high in the sky - beating down on his pale skin. He'd probably have a sunburn to deal with come tomorrow. The salty smell of the ocean drifted to his nose on the warm breeze making the walk rather pleasant - even if he was starting to get tired. It was about 9:30 at home and, if he were there and didn't have an engagement, he would be settling down for the evening - about to enjoy a nightcap with his granddad.

Around ten that night, he found himself loitering outside the old, white wooden building that he had just eaten lunch in. Aunt Camille had been right - their shakes were great. Zeke had talked him into a burger that had made his mouth water. The rattling of keys drew Fitz's attention and he watched as Zeke stood in front of the door in a pair of plaid shorts, a white t-shirt, and a black bag slung over his shoulder. He locked the door before turning around and spotting Fitz.

"Ready for your first American party?" The two fell in together, walking side by side down the boardwalk. The sound of the moving ocean drifted to them as the stars twinkled above.

"I've heard it's supposed to be the best."

"Ha! I don't know about that. Mom say that?"

"Yeah." Fitz rubbed the back of his head, stepping off the boardwalk and into the sand. His beige Sperry's sank into the soft sand.

"They're tradition. Been going on as long as I can remember."

Fitz nodded, the two continuing their trek in silence. At the end of the beach, a group of teens and young adults were sitting around fires, dancing to loud pop music, and sipping beer out of red solo cups. Rounded mounds of sand, some with tall stalks of grass peeking from the top, were littered throughout this portion of the beach. Waves crashed against the sand, spilling into an area populated by a group playing hacky-sack.

"I'm meeting a girl. I'll see you later." Zeke patted Fitz's shoulder, disappearing into the night. Fitz sighed, looking around. It was never fun to be at a party where you didn't know anyone.

"You look about as thrilled to be here as I am." The soft, feminine voice drew his attention. Turning around, his breath caught in his throat. She was...stunning. Her thick, curly hair clung around her chin and her tiny waist was accentuated by the frilly, short, white romper she wore with off-the-shoulder bell sleeves.

"I don't know anyone. New in town."

"Boy are you ever -" she smirked, waving a manicured hand at him until he followed her to the back of a pickup. "What brings you to Birmingram?"

"I'm visiting family."

"Oh?"

"Zeke Johnson?"

"You're related to Zeke?" She twisted the right side of her mouth, crinkling her nose, and reached for two red cups that sat on the tailgate. Handing one to him, she held hers under the keg, filling her cup.

"We're cousins." He filled his own cup, raising it to his lips afterward.

"Warm and stale. Some things never change." She grimaced as she sipped at her own beer and he chuckled - it didn't taste that bad to him. "So, Zeke's cousin...Do you ride?"

"Fitz," he offered, "Ride?"

"Bikes? It's kind of the thing around here."

"Not since I was a kid." He wasn't going to admit that the last time he had rode a bike, he'd had training wheels on it. It had never come to him and he'd given up easily.

"Well, we'll have to change that." She led him to a sand dune, lowering herself to the ground. He had to admire her bravery with the white outfit she was wearing.

"Yeah." He lowered himself against the sand dune that she was reclining against, bringing his cup to his lips once more.

"I give it a week."

"A week?"

"Until Zeke corrupts you."

"I'm sorry? Corrupts me?"

"If you're not already. Who knows?" Her words were accompanied by a shrug and a sip of her beer. "You may already be the British version of him."

"Who knows."

Sitting her cup in the sand beside them, she leaned backward, elbows digging into the cooling sand. Stretching her smooth, toned legs before her, she crossed one leg over the other. The movement drew his attention. The clearing of her throat brought him back to reality.

"Your friends aren't here?"

She laughed. A musical, throaty laugh. Then she was pointing at a sand dune further down the beach.

"My best friend Quinn is back there with her boyfriend, Huck. My other friend, Hanna, is somewhere over there -" Her finger moved toward the group kicking a hackysack, shouting at each other as they tried to keep it in the air and away from the puddle of water at their feet, "playing hackysack with our other friends, Stephen and Harrison."

"And they just left you alone?" The thought, unbidden, came to his head that if he were her friend, he wouldn't have left her alone at a party.

"I'm a bit of a loner."

"A beautiful girl like you?"

"Ha!"

"You're not a loner tonight." Using his index finger, he began tracing circles in the sand.

"I felt bad for the lost kid standing in the centre of the beach." There was that laugh again. The one that had him smiling, too.

"You know, you never told me your name." He preferred when she talked about herself. When _she _was talking. Her voice was mesmerizing.

"Olivia. But my friends call me Liv, Livvie, or Pope."

"And do I get to call you Livvie?" He winked at her, frowning at his now empty cup. She seemed to notice his sudden predicament and, without a word, she grasped her cup in her hand, lifted it, and poured her nearly full beer into his cup. Tossing her cup to the side, she moved just close enough to bump her shoulder against his, eyes focused on the darkened ocean.

"I guess we'll have to find out."

* * *

**A/N - **This is something that I have been working on for quite a while and, unlike my other stories, I wanted to completely finish the story before posting the first chapter. I'm excited to finally get to share with all of you! If you happen to like the story, look for weekly updates on Fridays. :)

With love,

G. xxxx


	2. Discount Knowledge

"Fitz! Sit. I've made breakfast. I didn't know what you would want…" Camille rambled, gesturing toward the large spread on the light grey, trestle dining table. There were stacks of turkey and pork bacon, sausage, eggs - scrambled and over easy, biscuits, gravy, fried apples, hash browns, and pancakes. Eyes wide, Fitz pulled a chair out from the table and sat heavily.

"You didn't have to -"

"Pfft." Camille waved her hand, silencing any further objections he may have, and trodded across the wooden floor to the coffee maker. "We have these kinds of breakfasts every Sunday. You're not going to make a fuss then, too, are you?"

Holding a dark, wooden cutting board in one hand, she placed it atop the table before setting the carafe of coffee on it - steam billowing from the open, wide-lipped top. The twinkling of her blue eyes let him know that she was teasing. Smiling to himself, he reached for the blue and white floral porcelain that sat to his right in a stack with two other plates. Camille took the seat across from him, reaching for her own plate.

"Zeke'll be down soon. As soon as he starts smelling the food."

"It does smell wonderful." Fitz wasn't sure why he felt the need to compliment everything his aunt did for him. Maybe it was the family atmosphere she had so kindly welcomed him into and his own lack of these moments. Even as a kid when he had still had his own parents. For the first time in his life, he found himself shovelling food onto his plate instead of having a full plate placed in front of him. And he liked it.

"What do the two of you have planned today?" Camille lifted her head, grasping her fork, after she and Fitz had said grace. Their attention was drawn to the loud thumping coming from the staircase and Zeke's head appearing through the doorway. His hair was an absolute mess - long strands sticking straight out in the back and flopping into his eyes in the front. The indentation from his pillowcase was dark red against his cheek and his tired yawn soon had the other two occupants yawning as well.

"Mornin'." The mumbled greeting was barely audible as Zeke began moving around the table, tossing food on his plate, like a zombie. Fitz bit his lip to keep from smirking. He had gotten home around two that morning after walking Olivia home. Olivia...even her name caused his lips to curl upward and his heart rate to speed up. Shaking his head, trying to clear his mind of the thoughts of the smart, beautiful woman he had met at the party, his attention returned to his cousin who was just now sitting in a chair. Zeke hadn't been home when Fitz had gotten home. Who knew what time he had finally dragged himself up the stairs and to his bed.

"I was going to explore the town a bit." Fitz closed his eyes, savouring the warm and sweet taste of the apples on his plate - a hint of cinnamon touching his palette as he chewed. Licking his lips, he brought another forkful to his mouth. How had he gone his whole life without knowing about these?

"We're playing basketball at Pope's."

"You aren't riding?"

"Maybe later. The girls have been talking up their game and we can't let that happen."

Fitz tilted his head, fork hovering above his plate, and studied his aunt and cousin. They had gotten his full, undivided attention when Zeke had mentioned Olivia. So they were friends. She had talked like she and Zeke were, but she had also talked like she didn't like him much. She had mentioned a group of friends, though, and Fitz had still to figure out just how Zeke played into that group.

"When is the game?"

Zeke turned a surprised eye toward Fitz as he was shovelling a forkful of scrambled eggs into his mouth. Chewing slowly, he swallowed just as slowly - appearing to be mulling over his thoughts before answering the man on his left.

"After breakfast. You want to come?"

"Maybe."

"Figures. I saw you getting cozy with Pope last night."

Fitz choked on his coffee - the root cause a combination of Zeke's words and the bitter taste he hadn't been expecting. He could feel his cheeks burning: a horrible, spreading feeling that he tried to will away to no avail. Lowering his head, he pretended to focus intently on his plate lest he see his aunt Camille's reaction. He had enjoyed Olivia's company the previous night and he _was_ looking forward to running into her again, but he was still very conscious of what his relatives might say.

"At least one of you boys has the brains to chase after a decent girl." And there it was. His aunt's approval. Lifting his head, Fitz gave Camille a small smile - a smile that said 'thank you'. He hadn't met his uncle Slate yet, but he was willing to bet that he had to be a good man. Afterall, Camille and Zeke were officially the nicest members of his family and the only two he _didn't _think would have any negative thoughts if he decided to pursue his confusing feelings surrounding Olivia Pope.

"Nothing romantic," Fitz elaborated, reaching for the pitcher of fresh squeezed orange juice and filling his unused glass, "She's friendly and smart. I think she felt bad that Zeke was the only person I knew at the party."

"Or she found another loner there."

"Zeke."

"What?" Zeke threw his hands in the air, his fork clattering against his plate, and eyed his mother. "She tries to pretend she's better than David because she goes to these things, but all she does is mope around by herself. You know Liv used to be the life of the party. She's not anymore. Not since -"

"Ezekiel!"

"Since what?" Fitz tilted his head, his dark brows drawing together and gaze darting from Camille to Zeke. He had gotten the feeling when he was talking to Olivia that something had happened to her, but they weren't close enough for him to ask and she certainly wasn't going to offer any information. She was an enigma, that was for sure. Camille and Zeke exchanged a look - a look that held an entire conversation's worth of meaning. After about a minute, Camille bowed her head and Zeke's attention turned to Fitz.

"We used to call Liv, David, and Abby the Big 3. Ya know - best friends since forever, crazy smart, and always the brains behind every good or bad idea. They were the life of the party whatever it was. God the midnight B-B-Q's we used to have-" Zeke tilted his head back, eyes closed, and groaned at the thought before returning his attention to Fitz, " -They were all three super into competitive stuff. David did BMX racing and Liv and Abbs did Freestyle BMX. They killed the competitions around here. Two summers ago, David and Abby started dating. All three of them went to a competition up in Banlodge. Some drunk driver ran a stop sign and creamed them. Liv broke her arm and a few ribs. Had to stay a couple nights at the hospital. David walked away and Abby… Abby didn't even make it to the hospital."

Fitz felt his stomach drop and he chewed the inside of his cheek to keep from showing any outward sign of emotion. The pain helped with that. It all made sense. The hint of sorrow he had spotted in her dark eyes the previous night and her avoidance of the main party scene no matter how many people had yelled at her - inviting her over to their groups. It hadn't taken a genius to see that she was insanely popular or that she had been avoiding everyone that night.

"Liv and David have both handled it very differently. Liv still goes to parties but she doesn't have fun. She's not carefree anymore. Only time she ever smiles is when she's on that damn bike of hers. Which is all the time. David's the manager at the cycle shop, but he hasn't been on a bike since that night and he doesn't go to parties. He doesn't do anything with us anymore. And they don't talk."

"They don't talk?"

"Him and Liv. They haven't spoken since that night. It's kind of pathetic how they avoid each other. Like turn around and walk in the other direction avoidance."

Fitz nodded, unable to form his thoughts into words as he listened to his cousin speak. He knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. Two people close to you. And Olivia certainly had lost two close people - even if one was still very much alive. It didn't sound like either one of them had dealt with their grief in a healthy way. Pushing his plate away, his stomach feeling close to bursting at the amount he had eaten (his aunt Camille's food had been too good for him to properly portion control), he lifted his arms above his head and stretched. He could feel every last bit of tension and all the little knots in his shoulders and upper back. Dropping his arms, he began rolling his shoulders.

"What do you wear to play basketball?"

Zeke tossed his head back, his loud laugh echoing through the dining room. He, too, shoved his plate away and pushed his chair out from the table, standing.

"Come on, cuz, let's go find some basketball shorts for you."

* * *

"Do you even know how to play?" Olivia stood across from Fitz, an eyebrow arched, while she dribbled a basketball. The sound of the ball hitting the paved driveway echoed around them. She had called him to the goal with her shortly after he and Zeke had sauntered onto her front porch. Zeke was still reclining on one of the white, wicker chairs - his phone in his hand. They were early - about a half hour or so.

"No clue."

"This is going to be too easy." Olivia smirked, twirling around him and tossing the ball in the air - it hit the back of the glass and fell downward through the net. He bent, clumsily grabbing the ball in his hands. He had never played basketball before, but he was a force to be reckoned with on a football pitch or polo field. He was athletic. Finally finding purchase on the ball, he bounced it against the driveway a couple times, getting a feel for the hand motion, before he repeated the motions he had witnessed from Olivia. Leaning his body somewhat back and pushing off the ground with his feet, he shot the ball and watched in awe as it sailed through the net.

"Damn beginner's luck -" Olivia winked, using her foot to stop the ball as it rolled toward her. Keeping her foot balanced on the orange ball, she rested her hands on her hips. Fitz tried not to ogle her too much. She was wearing a tight fitting grey t-shirt and a short pair of jean shorts. The white Chuck Taylors she had on didn't look too comfortable to be playing basketball in, but they didn't seem to hinder her whatsoever. Her hair was piled atop her head in a tight bun that made him a little sad - he'd loved the way it looked down the previous night.

"Beginner's luck, eh?" He shoved his Ray Ban's atop his head, holding his curly hair out of his eyes.

"We aren't going to go easy on you."

"I've heard," his blue eyes twinkled, "Someone said you could be quite competitive."

"Don't believe everything Zeke tells you." Her eyes drifted over his shoulder to a couple girls walking down the sidewalk.

"So you aren't competitive?"

"Only sometimes." She kicked the ball behind her and it rolled into the grass - stopping the minute it hit the well-groomed green. Raising her arm, she waved her hand in the air before cupping both hands around her mouth and shouting: "Quinn! Hanna!"

Fitz turned on his heel, eyes finding the girls walking on the sidewalk. They both raised their hands to wave at Olivia's shout. The brunette had her hair pulled back in a severe ponytail and was dressed all in black. She carried a skateboard under her arms. The first thing he noticed about the blonde was her height. She looked to be almost as tall as he was - and she was wearing sneakers.

"Whose idea was it to play basketball today?" The blonde was the first to speak, frowning at the goal behind Olivia.

"The guys. It hurt their fragile egos that Quinn said we're better than them."

Fitz's attention turned to the brunette. Quinn. She had an unusual name, but it fit her he thought. After all, only an unusual person would be wearing all black on such a hot day.

"The guys get butthurt over _everything. _If it'd make you happy, I could announce that we're better swimmers. Then we could spend a day in the pool."

"Pool? You're twenty feet from the ocean." The words tumbled out of Fitz's mouth before he could stop them. For a moment, he had forgotten that these weren't his friends - not yet, and they weren't like all the people at home who were thrilled to hang onto his every word.

"New guy's got jokes."

"Just means he'll fit in nicely." Hanna's eyes scanned over Fitz's body as she spoke and, for the first time in his life, he felt no inclination to attempt to woo the hot blonde who was so clearly interested. A month ago and he would have been all over her, but not after last night. It was something even he couldn't quite explain just yet.

"Ha. Hanna, Quinn - Fitz." Olivia pointed at each one in turn as she said their names.

"Zeke's cousin, right?" Hanna batted her lashes and once more, Fitz found himself looking away. He almost felt embarrassed for the poor girl.

"Don't hold it against me."

"I'm pretty sure our group can only handle one Zeke -"

"He's nothing like, Zeke, Quinn. He's actually smart." There was just the hint of a smile as Olivia said those words and, unbidden, Zeke's words from that morning replayed themselves in Fitz's head. _Only time she ever smiles is when she's on that damn bike of hers. _Well she wasn't on that bike right now.

* * *

"Foul!" Stephen shouted, wrapping his arms around the basketball and holding it close to his body.

"That's not a fucking foul, Stephen!" Quinn had been quick to argue every call the boys had tried to make. Most of them had been dropped - they weren't up to fighting with Quinn on every little thing. This one, though, Stephen did not look like he was about to drop.

"Illegal contact!" Huck shouted from somewhere behind them, prompting Quinn to roll her eyes.

"Were you even close enough to see?"

"Since when do we call fouls?" Olivia argued, speaking over Quinn who, for her part, crossed her arms and gave the boys a 'she's got a point' look.

"Since you guys started cheating."

"We do not cheat," Hanna scoffed, "And if she touched you it was an accident. Do you know how sweaty and smelly you guys are?"

"Like you aren't?"

"Shut _up _Zeke."

"Shut up Zeke."

"You lost the right to talk to me when we broke up."

"Stop being so uptight, Han."

"And you definitely lost the right to call me that!"

Olivia rolled her eyes, the different arguments between her friends rolling around her. Tossing her hands in the air and shaking her head, she stomped off the driveway. Fitz followed her, choosing to let the arguing continue on the driveway without him. He didn't want to be dragged into the middle of any of that. It had taken him by surprise - they seemed close and certainly didn't seem like the types to start a full-blown argument in the middle of the game.

"Water?"

He accepted the cool bottle Olivia held his way, water dripping off the plastic from the melted ice in the cooler. Twisting the small, white plastic lid, he held the bottle to his lips and took a swig - sighing as the cool liquid slid down his throat. Capping the bottle, he sat in the wicker chair by the one Olivia had just eased into. Swiping at his hair, sweat went flying. His face was flushed, hot, and his breathing was still slightly erratic.

"Do they fight like that often?" If he hadn't been sitting with Olivia, he probably wouldn't have asked that question. Something about her made him feel at ease, though. Olivia didn't answer right away. She pulled her knees to her chest, balancing her feet against the edge of the seat.

"We didn't used to fight. Then the group dynamics just kind of shifted. Huck started dating Quinn. They're the only healthy relationship even though they're weird as hell. Zeke and Hanna dated until Zeke cheated on her. I don't know why she expected any different. No offense because I know he's your cousin, but Zeke's a bit of an asshole and 100% sleazy. Stephen has a crush on Quinn and takes the realisation that he doesn't have a chance with her out on everyone. So we have dumb ass arguments sometimes."

He nodded, rubbing his water bottle across his forehead. The cool water droplets felt good against his heated flesh. Raised voices from the driveway were still drifting to the porch. One glance in the group's direction confirmed that they were still embroiled in a heated argument. Quinn and Stephen were yelling, Hanna had her back turned to Zeke, and Huck was trying to separate his girlfriend from one of his best friends. From the looks of things, Quinn was putting up one hell of a fight.

"They're going to be at it for a while and when they finally stop, they won't want to play anymore. Probably won't even talk again until tomorrow," Olivia sighed, dropping her feet to the floor and using the arms of the chair to push herself up. "Come on."

He didn't think twice about standing or following her off the porch, across a set of stepping stones that led to a white fence in the back, and onto the beach. She pulled her Converse off her feet - tossing them over the fence and into the backyard. He smirked at the sight of her bare feet. She didn't wear socks.

Bending at the waist, Fitz untied each one of his shoes before toeing them off and pulling his socks off. After stuffing them into each one of his shoes, he followed Olivia's example and tossed them both over the fence. The sand was warm and squishy under his toes as his feet sank into it. They walked down the beach in silence, stopping right where the tide hit the beach.

"Do you swim?"

"I love to swim. Not in the ocean, though. I have an unhealthy fear of sharks."

"That's cute." He felt a blush coating his cheeks at his words - he hadn't meant to say them aloud. The tilt of her head and the soft giggle that fell from her lips, eased his worry.

"What about you?"

"I don't swim often at oceans. Mostly at home."

"What do you like to do? I think we've already ruled bikes out."

"I like horses. Football."

"I played soccer when I was a kid."

"How'd that go?"

"My parents made me quit. It wasn't conducive to my education -" She brushed a stray strand of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear, "- I liked it."

"Yikes. Sounds like your parents are tough."

"Aren't they all?"

His face fell a bit at her question and his attention drifted to the slow, crashing waves of the ocean. White foam trickled onto the beach as bright, blue waves crashed against one another. His mind drifted to his parents. His sweet, caring mother who wanted nothing more in this world than for him to experience his life - to be a kid. Then to his father - his stern father he knew loved him in his own way. His dad had just wanted to prepare him for the role he would eventually fill and, sometimes, a tough hand needed to be used. Once Fitz was in that position, after all, he would have very little room for error.

"I'm sorry." She wasn't looking at him. Her gaze was turned toward the ocean, hands buried in the back pockets of her shorts. Those two words held more meaning to them than a simple apology - she _knew _there was some kind of history there. Something he wasn't saying.

"I was ten-" He took a deep breath "-It was a car accident. My...my dad didn't...he was already...when the ambulance arrived. My mum died a day later at the hospital. My gran's been amazing, but I miss them."

He took a shaky breath, blinking fast. He didn't cry in public and he wasn't going to cry in front of the girl he liked. Raising a hand, he shoved his curls out of his eyes. The feel of her hand wrapping around his forearm, her soft skin coming contact with his, drew his attention from the sky - where he had been looking in an attempt to hide his emotions. She tilted her head, resting it against his bicep. The warm smell of honey drifted to his nostrils.

"I'm sorry, Fitz. For what it's worth: I'm missing someone, too."

* * *

_**A/N: **_I'm sorry I'm a couple hours late posting this. My MIL likes to volunteer to make the birthday cake, cupcakes, and candy for my niece's birthday and she can't do any of that by herself. So, I just got home and around to posting this.

This is a short(er) chapter than the others in this story for a couple reasons: Fitz and Olivia have gotten closer to discussing their past with one another, you've learned about Olivia's past, and our two favourites have established a somewhat deeper connection than just two strangers meeting at a beach party.

Let me know what you think! I've loved hearing all of the theories (a handful of people have correctly guessed Fitz's background) and your thoughts.

Happy reading,

Gabi xxxx


	3. A Simple Life and I'll Be Okay

"You don't know how to ride a bike?" Olivia stood with her mouth open, eyes widened, as she stood rooted to her spot on the grassy slope overlooking the jump park. A warm breeze blew through the trees, causing the limbs to brush against one another and the leaves to rustle. Dark clouds were scattered throughout the otherwise bright blue sky - occasionally drifting into the way of the sun and casting a gloomy shadow over the park for a few minutes. Shouts were drifting to their area from the playground across the parking lot - the packed playground with little kids and parents running around.

"I never...I...I…" He couldn't form the words to explain _why _he didn't know how to ride a bike and standing in front of her right now, he felt his cheeks starting to darken. She looked absolutely amazed. But there **was** a good reason that he had never learned to ride a bicycle. He just couldn't bring himself to explain when she was looking at him like that - like he was some poor little boy who had missed out on one of childhood's greatest experiences. Like she pitied him and he did not want anyone's pity. He was tired of being on the receiving end of those sad, pitying looks.

"No one ever taught you?" She shook her head, a strand of hair flying out of her bun to bounce against her shoulder. Bending to grab the handlebars of her bike, she stood the black and orange Annex upright. Resting her hands on the handlebars, she eyed him. One foot played with the pedal of the bike, teasing it back and forth, while the other foot remained firmly planted on the ground. His eyes drifted to her beat up Converse. They weren't the same pair she had worn when they were playing basketball. These were an orange that he would bet had once been blinding. They'd certainly seen better days.

"My mum started to teach me. I wasn't any good, but I tried. She...she seemed to want me to learn. Never got past the whole stabilisers stage I'm afraid." Fitz tucked his hands into the pockets of his khaki shorts, raising his gaze to hers. She had her held tilted, her lips pursed as a thoughtful look covered her face. He shrugged, dragging the toe of his black, Balenciaga trainers across the grass. Zeke had given him some serious shit when he'd pulled the trainers from his suitcase that morning. If he never heard 'rich boy' again in his life it would be too soon.

"What made you give up? Too hard?" Olivia's dark eyes twinkled as she teased him, her hands now resting on her hips. It was a position he had come to notice that she took whenever she was standing and listening. If her hands weren't on her hips, then they were crossed under her chest. If they were crossed, well then...Someone was about to get an earful. Of course, he had only ever really seen the pose from her when she was speaking to Zeke. Now **that **was a dynamic he still didn't quite understand. Olivia gave Zeke a lot of shit and Zeke typically gave it right back, but they were close. Very close. In a brother/sister type of way. It wasn't entirely logical to Fitz - Zeke was smart, but not _Olivia _smart and, even though he loved his cousin, Fitz was under no illusions that Zeke was a good guy. Olivia; however, had a heart of pure gold.

"My mum died." He had gotten used to speaking about his parents' death. Almost from the beginning, he had been expected to talk about what had happened. He had been expected to 'keep his parents' memories alive'. In a way, he had become dangerously desensitised to the topic. A frown tugged at his lips, forcing them to curl downward, as she cast her gaze to the ground. She dug her toe into the grass, adding even more green stains to the white toe of her shoes, and clasped her hands behind her back. She was frowning, too, and biting her lip - tugging at her bottom lip until a thin, red line appeared. He didn't have to be a mind reader to see that his words had upset her - that she had probably believed her words had struck a nerve and now felt guilty about that.

"So...You going to teach me or what?" His words hung in the air - a peace offering of sorts. He didn't want her to think that she had upset him and he certainly didn't like thinking that his words had upset her. There wasn't any need to dwell on any of that. Slowly, she lifted her head and smiled at him. A soft breath escaped his lips and he grinned. Her smiles were infectious - her happiness was infectious.

"Depends...You ready to fall on your ass?" Olivia giggled, eyes sparkling. Fitz's deep, baritone laugh echoed her own and he pulled a hand from the pocket of his khaki shorts. Rubbing the curls at the nape of his neck, the rose gold of his Patek Philippe glinting in what little sunlight was streaming through the dark clouds. Luckily, his cousin knew little about watches and so Zeke had been mostly quiet on the piece.

"I've got enough padding." Fitz chuckled, his hand moving to the front of his hair and trying to smooth the disorderly curls. They were always a mess no matter how hard he worked to control them or how much product he used. The media liked to talk about his hair - it was a blessing considering how little hair the rest of the males in his family had. The thick locks were definitely a trait passed to him from his mother. He had loved playing with Catherine's long, thick hair when he was younger. Whenever he couldn't fall asleep, he'd crawl into her lap and play with her hair until he finally nodded off.

"Muscle isn't padding." She raked her eyes over his body before turning her head, a blush dusting her cheeks. It had been a quick move - one that Fitz would have missed if he wasn't so focused on her. This time, _he_ bit his lip to keep from smirking. The feeling was mutual, that was for sure. He would have to be a fool not to see that Olivia was beautiful. Stunning. There were a lot of adjectives he could use to describe her.

"That isn't muscle." He twisted his head, looking at his ass over his shoulder. He could feel her eyes on his body, following his own and had to stop himself from laughing. Getting her to check out his ass hadn't been intentional.

"You sure? Because from here, it _all _looks like muscle."

"So you've been checking me out?" He winked, tilting his head to the side. A curl flopped into his eye, but he didn't bother with moving it. He was putting on the charm - something he knew he was exceptionally good at. Something in his gut told him that his goal, unlike every other time he used his natural charm on women, was different this time. He wanted her to laugh - to smile. He wanted her to talk to him and share her secrets. What he didn't want was a one night stand or a short lived relationship that he would end the moment he became bored. A world in which Olivia Pope was boring was a world he could not for the life of him imagine.

"Don't change the topic."

"I'm fairly certain our topic _was _about my muscles. Or lack thereof."

"There is no lack." She held her hands in the air, her fingers bent and moving up and down as she provided air quotes for her 'lack'. Dropping her hands, she pushed herself off her handlebars right as a big, fat drop of water landed on her forehead. Laughing, she swiped the spot of water from her skin and shook her head, tilting her head backwards to look at the sky. Fitz followed, narrowing his eyes at the dark clouds that had suddenly covered the once brilliant blue at some point in their conversation. The wind was beginning to pick up, now whipping the tree limbs back and forth.

"Damn rain," Olivia mumbled. Swinging her leg over her bike, she kicked the stand up before resting on her seat. Turning her attention to Fitz, she asked: "You coming? You won't make it back walking before it starts pouring."

"How?" He eyed the bike. It was only big enough for one person. Or so he assumed. He couldn't conceive of anyway for both of them to ride on her bike. Of course, he didn't actually have any experience with bikes.

"See that?" She pointed at the small, orange metal bar-looking things that were sticking out from her front tires. His gaze followed her finger, eyes narrowing. There was no way.

"That won't hold me!"

"Yes it will. They're for BMX bikes. They're sturdy and you _are _too big to ride on my handlebars. So come on. Get your ass up here so we can go."

"How-?" He took a step closer to the bike, eyeing the bars wearily.

"Turn around and put your feet on the pegs. You can rest your butt on the handlebars, but you're going to have to help me navigate."

"This is going to be fun," he mumbled. Placing a foot on one peg, he bounced his foot a couple times - testing the sturdiness. They really were as sturdy as she said they were. Pivoting, his back now to Olivia, he slung his other leg over the wheel and placed that foot on the peg before resting his butt against her handlebars. It wasn't the most comfortable position - his calves were already straining to keep his balance and the handlebars were hard against his bottom.

"Ready?" Before he could answer, she had lifted her feet, placing them on the pedals and quickly hitting the sidewalk. Warm wind blew across his face - turning his cheeks a rosy pink and tugging at his curls, pulling his fitted, crisp white Oxford shirt. A few raindrops fell from the dark clouds above, soaking into the material of his white shirt. The white, capped sleeves of her shirt were soaking the droplets as well, becoming nearly transparent. He had chuckled when he'd first seen her shirt. It was a simple t-shirt that fit her body like a glove - a fact that he appreciated greatly. But it was the phrase on the shirt that made his day. The: "_THE FLOOR IS LAVA! - Everyone, Pompeii A.D. 79_. It was nerdy and showed her sense of humour. Her fantastic, witty sense of humour.

"Damnit! We aren't going to beat the rain." She was shouting to be heard over the rush of the wind and the sudden loud clap of thunder. Just as another thunderclap echoed through their ears, rain began falling in a heavy, steady stream. Her legs started moving even faster, pumping the pedals at an incredible speed and propelling them down the long, sloping sidewalk. The slope helped - giving them an extra boast.

"How are you even seeing?" He shouted at the same time she asked:

"Is it okay if we hang out at my house until it's over? It'll be closer."

"Sure!"

And that's where she took them. By the time she slid to a stop in front of the multi-story, sprawling home. It was the largest at the end of her lane about five miles from the boardwalk. She was quick to roll her bike into the garage before darting across the lawn and joining Fitz on the porch. Her wet shirt clung to her body - her toned stomach and beige bra visible under the now see-through material. Shoving his soaked curls from their place on his forehead, his eyes raked across her body - she really was stunning.

"Margot's pretty chill about most things, but she'll kill us if we track water into the house." Olivia shrugged, swiping at the water on her forehead before it had a chance to drip into her eyes. She sighed as ran her hand over the top of her hair. "This is going to be a fucking bitch later."

His eyes fell on her hair as he followed her lead and settled into the wicker chair next to hers. She was still running her hand over her hair, a frown marring her otherwise beautiful features. Finally, she let her hand fall to the armrest of her chair and leaned her head back. Closing her eyes, chest rising in a deep, even pattern, he had thought she'd fallen asleep until she began speaking.

"I really was checking you out."

His heart thudded in his chest - racing at her words. Palms sweaty, he swallowed hard - fighting the lump in his throat. Licking his lips - his tongue adding moisture to the wind-chapped skin and he knew he was going to regret that later. Clearing his throat, nervousness hitting him in a way it never had before, he said:

"That makes two of us."

Now it was her turn to bite her lip, drawing her full, bottom lip between her teeth. Tilting her head, her dark eyes focused on him. His own eyes were drawn to her - checking her out. The few strands that had escaped from her bun were still plastered to her forehead and her shirt was entirely see-through. The beige bra enhanced the swell of her breasts causing his eyes to linger as he imagined what she looked like under that bra. Fighting a groan, his gaze returned to her face - to her eyes that were focused on his lips. Leaning his back against the chair, hands clenching the armrests, his eyes followed her as she pushed herself into a standing position. She moved quickly across the stone porch, stopping in front of his chair. Placing her hands on top of his, leaning down, she whispered:

"It _definitely_ makes two of us."

He didn't think twice, lifting his hands from the armrests and moving them out from underneath hers. Placing them on her hips, he yanked her forward - both laughing when she fell into his lap. His lips sought hers, sighing at the first feel of her soft, pliable lips beneath his. The exotic, sweet smell of coconut assaulted his nostrils. She opened her mouth beneath him, her tongue tangling with his. A cool, minty taste invaded his senses - remnants of the gum she had been chewing at the park if he had to guess. Her legs straddled his as best she could in the chair they sat in - her jean-clad lower half coming into contact with his. Fitz tried to will his body not to react as she squirmed above him, one hand gripping his shoulder and the other holding his face - her hand rubbing against the light stubble along his jawline.

"Mm-mm." Olivia pulled back just long enough to catch her breath before diving in for more. He ran his hands over her back, hands soaking in the water from her wet shirt. All he could think about was the feeling of her resting in his lap, squirming as she tried to bring her lips closer to his and causing a painful erection. The way she was twirling her hips above him...he knew she could feel his body's reaction to their makeout session. They continued moving their lips against each other's - lost to the world as the rain poured down around them.

* * *

"Fitzgerald, you never called."

Fitz sighed, resting his head against the wall behind the headboard. He had taken the brief pause in the storm to run the couple blocks back to his aunt Camille's home. He'd been sad to leave Olivia, but decided running home was the best thing to do when her father showed up unannounced. Olivia had promised that she would call him later. Of course, it hadn't been until he had trudged into Camille's home that he realised he didn't have her number. Oh well. It wasn't like they wouldn't ever see each other again.

"I'm sorry, gran. I was -"

"Settling in? Or have you completely forgotten your grandmother?" She was teasing. A light, amused lilt graced her voice as it came through the phone's speaker. He smiled - chuckling at her teasing.

"I really do apologise."

"Do you like it there?"

"It's different. I needed the change."

"Your mother's sister is -" So she still couldn't bring herself to call Camille his aunt. He shook his head - it was easier for his grandmother to pretend that this part of his family didn't exist - that he didn't have an aunt that wasn't one of her daughters.

"Aunt Camille is extremely kind."

"Good. Are you still planning on spending the entire summer?"

"Unless you need me to come back for some -"

"No, Fitzgerald. If you _want _to stay, stay. I've handled everybody else."

"So no one is trying -"

"Oh there will always be someone trying to discover exactly where you went that you have managed to hide from the public eye. There are also rumours that you have taken ill and a few that you have run away from your responsibilities."

"Is that what you believe?" He felt his stomach sink. The familiar pangs of pain beginning in his abdomen at the panicked thought that his grandmother might believe he was abandoning his duties. _That _was never his intention when he had asked for this holiday. He only wanted to recharge and learn about the part of him that he didn't really know.

"Of course not! You know how the media are. I want you to be prepared if you see the headlines."

"I'll be fine, gran." The last real, negative encounter he had had with the media had been as a ten year old grieving his parents. There had been tributes - large, flowery tributes that had covered every newspaper and magazine. Tributes that had taken precedence over all other news stories on every channel. But there had also been accusations - headlines blaming his grandmother for his parents' deaths. She may not have liked his mother, but from what Fitz could remember, his grandmother had always been kind to Catherine. And she wouldn't hurt anyone.

"I don't want you to be surprised."

"Thank you."

"Promise you will call me this time, Fitzgerald?"

He glanced at the rectangular, lime green alarm clock on the nightstand. The yellow and red clock arms were pointing at a 4 and 6 - one of the arms nearly covering Michaelangelo's face as he popped out of a manhole. The other three turtles stood around him - weapons at the ready. Across the top of the yellow background, _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles _was written in the original script - one of that new age shit that Nick had tried. He'd watched it once and he wasn't a fan. The alarm clock tribute in the guest room though, a souvenir from the original cartoon that had once belonged to Zeke, Fitz had been a fan of since day one.

"I will call, gran. Good night." He wouldn't be going to bed for hours yet, but she was in bed every night by ten unless there were visitors.

"Good night, Fitzgerald."

With a yawn, he tossed his phone on the bed, eyes drifting to the window where a steady beat of rain was still falling. It was the first rain they had gotten since he'd been in the town and he honestly had started to think that it just didn't rain here. Sliding down the firm mattress, he rested his head against the pillows. The steady rhythym the rain had going against the roof and the warm feeling of the mattress beneath him had his eyes fluttering close. And so the sound of his bedroom door opening, the metal doorknob bouncing against the wall, came to his ears almost as if from underwater. Zeke's booming voice; however, did not.

"I'm not some errand boy.

Fuck you.

Maybe you should've given him your number if you wanted to talk so bad.

Fuck off, Pope. He's sleeping."

The one-sided conversation continued, but at the mention of Olivia's name, Fitz opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. Zeke was leaning against the doorframe - his dark hair sticking up and a pair of pyjama bottoms on. He looked like he had just woken up, too. From what Fitz had learned of this town - no one had a normal sleep schedule. With a yawn, Fitz swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and put his feet on the floor, hands digging into the bed as he tilted his head toward Zeke.

"Yeah. Yeah. Whatever. Here he is." Zeke handed his phone to Fitz, rolling his eyes and holding his index finger, thumb up, against his temple. Fitz shook his head at the mock 'shot' Zeke performed with his hand-gun. He waited until he had heard a door shut and Zeke's footsteps disappear.

"Hello?"

"I realised after you left that I don't have your number."

"We should probably change that."

"I thought that maybe you just hadn't liked the kiss."

"Oh I _loved _the kiss."

"Look at you with the compliments," she laughed.

"I'm glad you called me." The palms of his hands were sweaty and it didn't seem to matter how much he rubbed them against the bedcovers - the sweat just reappeared seconds later. His heart was racing and had been since the conversation had started. What was it about her? None of the others had made him this nervous.

"You should be because I had to talk to _Zeke _to get to talk to you."

"I'm sorry." They laughed together. His laugh died down before hers - he liked being able to hear her laugh. It was musical.

"Eh. I can't ever actually avoid the asshole."

"I really don't understand why you are friends."

"Someone has to be his friend. And he's been with us since fourth grade. We kind of can't return him now."

"Unfortunately."

"So…there's a bonfire on the beach tomorrow tonight. You came?"

"I am so game."

"Do you even know what you just said?"

"Of course." He chuckled.

"See you then?"

"If I don't see you first."

"Until then, I'll be thinking about you...and your lips." The line went dead and he pulled the phone from his ear, shaking his head. That girl was something else.

* * *

"Your dad asked me who your new boyfriend is."

Olivia sighed, running a hand through her frizzy hair. She had been right when she'd told Fitz that it was going to be a bitch after it dried. Yawning, she opened the cabinet to her right, standing on the tips of her toes, and reached for a coffee mug, her grey, plaid shirt lifting just enough to reveal the short, white Soffe shorts she was wearing. Falling back on flat feet, she shut the cabinet and placed her mug under the Keurig.

"He's not my boyfriend." She placed a pod in the Keurig and began brewing her coffee. Turning around, she leaned her back against the counter, listening to the patter of the coffee dripping into her mug.

"Your dad said you were kissing." Margot's attention never left the book in front of, a glass of red wine sitting to the side. Suddenly Olivia was all too aware of the quietness of the house. That was unusual - Sylvia preferred to scream at the top of her lungs she was pretty sure.

"Doesn't make him my boyfriend," Olivia shrugged, turning to the refrigerator and grabbing her carton of almond milk. Pulling her mug from the Keurig, she poured her milk and some sugar into the cup. She was stirring the concoction when she asked: "Dad take Sylvia?"

"You're trying to change the subject," Margot accused, finally laying her book on the table and focusing her gaze on Olivia. "Your father did take Sylvia. Now, about this boy you were kissing…"

"Zeke's cousin."

"Zeke's _cousin_? I didn't know Zeke had a cousin."

"I'm not really sure how they're related. But Zeke says they're cousins. He's British."

"And you kissed him."

"Definitely kissed him."

"But he's not your boyfriend."

"Nope." Olivia took a sip of her coffee, the strong flavour of the dark roast offset just a bit by the sugar and milk she had added.

"Well there's a conversation I never thought we would have."

"Huh?"

"You making out with a boy."

"I like boys, Margot." Olivia carried her mug to the table, taking a seat across from her stepmother and setting the mug down, wrapping her hands around its warmth.

"You've never talked about them or dated."

"And I wouldn't be talking about Fitz if you hadn't brought it up."

"Fitz?"

"That's his name."

"Fitz?" Margot repeated, rolling his name around her tongue and frowning. "That's a weird name."

"I think it's a nickname."

"You think?"

"Well it _is _a weird name."

"But you don't know if it's a nickname."

"Nope." Olivia shrugged, tilting her head - a bemused smirk on her face as she watched Margot shake her head.

"He's not your boyfriend, you don't know his actual name, and you kissed. Nope. Never thought I would ever have this conversation with you, Liv."

"That's okay," Olivia smiled sweetly, "I never thought I'd have this conversation with you."

"Just remember protection," Margot laughed, waving the conversation off and grabbing her book - diving back into the steamy romance she had been reading. Meanwhile, Olivia could feel her cheeks burning at her stepmother's words. She hadn't expected anything less than support to come from Margot. They had never had that awkward stepmother attempting to be a mother moment. Margot was barely older than Olivia herself and so they had long since agreed that friendly terms worked best for them. The reminder to use protection though...That just reminded her that it was glaringly obvious that Fitz had experience and she - she did not. There had been a boy before, but nothing more than a kiss. Frowning down at her coffee, she shook her head.

_God help her. _

* * *

**A/N - **Ah! Their first kiss. And they were caught by Papa Pope. Who you guys will get to officially meet next chapter.

Let me know what you guys think!

Gabi xxxx


	4. Raising Hell Where the Blacktop Ends

_**Are you still on vacay? Haven't heard from you in a while, babe.**_

Olivia stared at the message on the lit screen, heart pounding in her chest. Biting her lip, she gripped the edge of the round, wooden table. Tearing her eyes from the large, slim iPhone, she plastered a smile on her face and lifted her gaze - glancing at the other two occupants at the table. Huck and Quinn were paying no attention to her whatsoever. The two usually emotionally-stunted individuals were making googly eyes at each other across the table prompting Olivia to shake her head. She and Fitz weren't so obvious were they? Gaze travelling to the cards laying facedown on the table, she smirked at the sight of both scorecards covered - she and Fitz had just beaten Huck and Quinn last game and were just beginning another game. They were waiting on Fitz to get back from the restroom.

"I'm going to get some snacks." The chair Olivia had been sitting in scraped against the floor as she stood. A glance over her shoulder as she was leaving the room confirmed that Huck and Quinn were taking the opportunity of being alone to makeout. Down the hallway, she paused outside the white door of the bathroom. Her eyes fell on the iPhone in her hand. She had brought it along, the words from the text message still echoing in her mind. Leaning against the wall across from the bathroom, she listened as the sound of water pouring from the faucet quieted.

"Olivia?" Fitz stood in the doorway, hand still on the doorknob. She kicked off from the wall, gripping his phone tighter in her hand.

"I told Huck and Quinn I was going to get snacks."

"Do you need help?"

"Yeah." She nodded, turning on her heel and trudging down the hallway. Any other time, she would have jumped on the chance to hold his hand while they were alone, but he had some explaining to do. Down the hall and up the narrow staircase that ended in the kitchen, Olivia chewed on her bottom lip as she opened the stainless steel refrigerator. Pulling the large, round glass bowl from the middle shelf with the pepperoni pizza dip she had made earlier, she sat it on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she began speaking as she opened the cabinet over the coffeemaker and reached for a bag of chips:

"Your girlfriend texted you."

"My what?" Fitz froze, the two beer bottles clinking between his fingers, and frowning. Dropping the brown bag of chips on the countertop, Olivia dropped her feet and spun around to face him. She pushed her hair out of her face, clasping her hands at the back of her head - her cropped, black Fenty x Puma sweatshirt raising even further and her lone, diamond sparkling from her belly button. Lifting her hand, she shook his phone from side to side, showing him that she had the device before she turned it to face her and double-tapped the screen.

"_Are you still on vacay? Haven't heard from you in a while, __**babe**__." _She read in a high falsetto, sliding his phone onto the counter as she finished. Placing her hands on her hips, she tilted her head and raised a brow at the tall guy across from her.

"Who?" Fitz tilted his own hand, curls flopping to the side, and brought a fist to his lips - tapping them gently as he scrunched his brows together.

Sighing and tossing her hands in the air, Olivia replied: "_Mellie_."

"Mell - She's not my girlfriend!"

"Then why would she -"

"We need to talk."

"Ya think?" Olivia crossed her arms under her chest, twisting around and leaning her back against the counter.

"I'm not a saint." Fitz sighed, leaning against the counter himself and staring straight ahead. "I didn't want to tell you about my history."

"Why?"

"Because I'm ashamed of who I was."

"What did you do?"

"I...was a lot like Zeke." He breathed deeply, running a hand through his curls and closing his eyes for a moment. "Different women every week as long as I thought they would sleep with me. I didn't want an actual relationship. Mellie was -"

"-One of those girls?" Olivia waited for him to nod his head before she shoved away from the counter. With an exasperated laugh, she spoke: "And now she's some crazy stalker?"

"In a way," Fitz admitted, reaching for his phone lying on the counter. Typing in his password, he opened his messages and clicked on the ones that said 'Mellie'. Extending his arm toward Olivia, he held his phone in front of her. "You're welcome to read the messages if you want."

Biting her lip, Olivia reached for his phone. Holding it before her face, she began reading. There were plenty of messages - most from Mellie. It took her a moment to scroll to the very beginning of the messages. Once she did get to the beginning, she began carefully reading those messages. There was a bit of flirting on both their parts, eventually a request for a date, and finally a few text messages that seemed to allude to their having spent a weekend together in Lyme Regis. After that, aside from one message asking Mellie not to contact him, all of the messages were one-sided.

"Is she confused by 'There's nothing to our relationship, Melody. Please stop contacting me'?" Olivia handed his phone back to him, watching as he slid it into his pocket.

"She's a bit obsessed."

"Why? Not that you aren't a great guy - at least what you've shown me, but why throw away your dignity for someone who clearly doesn't want you?"

"Because Mellie is power hungry."

"And you fit into that…"

"She thinks I can offer her something that I can't."

Olivia nodded, running a finger along the bottom of her eye - swiping at the small amount of water that had formed there. His hard-set jaw and the steely look in his blue eyes told her that he didn't want to continue talking. She wouldn't press the topic. Not today at least. He had told her what she wanted to hear about the woman who had texted him and had provided plenty of proof that there was nothing there.

"We should probably go back downstairs before Huck and Quinn start to worry."

"Yeah." He nodded, rubbing the back of his head. As she reached for the bag of chips, he called her name. "Olivia?"

"Yeah?"

His eyes travelled to her lips, focusing on them. Wetting his lips with his tongue, he leaned forward and pressed them against hers. She sighed into the sweet, gentle kiss. He didn't push any - didn't try to take it further than the innocent, chaste kiss that it was. The kiss that ended too soon and left her standing there, fingers pressed against her lips where only seconds earlier his had been. Licking her own lips and shuddering, Olivia finally reached for the bag of chips, grasping them in her fingers. She waited for Fitz to grab the dip in one hand and balance the two beers he had grabbed in the other before leading him back to the basement and the family game room.

"You guys were gone for a while." Quinn twisted in her chair, raising a dark brow toward Olivia and Fitz as they settled the snacks onto the table - careful to avoid the red and white deck of playing cards.

"I thought I'd give you plenty of chance to makeout with Huck." Olivia shrugged, pulling her chair out and settling into the hard seat across from Fitz.

"We did more than makeout…"

"Quinn!"

The group of friends shared a laugh - both at what Quinn had said and Huck's reaction. The poor man still had somewhat of a blush covering his cheeks, turning them a dusky shade of pink. Huck was quick to accept the opened beer that Fitz handed toward him and attempt to hide his embarrassment behind the brownish bottle.

"So… Olivia's deal?" Fitz glanced at the woman across from him, passing the card deck to her as she balled the aluminum foil that had covered the pizza dip in her hand and tossed it into the wastebasket by the door.

"My deal." Olivia reached for the deck of cards, quickly shuffling before dealing five cards to each player and flipping the top card over for the remaining cards in her hands.

"I don't have the balls to order that up." Quinn shook her head, eyeing the jack of clubs that Olivia had turned over.

"Well I do. Pick it up." Fitz waited as Olivia picked the card up - placing it in her hand and discarding one of the ones she had dealt herself.

"I swear they cheat," Quinn moaned - tossing an ace of hearts onto the table.

"Now why did you have to do that?" Fitz chuckled, laying his nine of hearts in the middle.

"Nice choice." Huck nodded - tossing his own heart into the pile.

"Except my partner doesn't have a heart."

"Unfortunately not," Olivia shrugged, tossing a nine of clubs onto the pile.

"Unfair!" Quinn laughed, waiting on Olivia to toss the next card into the middle of the table and opening the bag of chips.

"We're just talented." Fitz winked, accepting a chip when Quinn held the bag toward him.

"Olivia used to play all the time with her dad."

Fitz choked a little at the mention of Eli Pope - forcing a laugh from Olivia. He had been actively avoiding any mention of her father since he had caught the two of them kissing weeks ago. Eli hadn't mentioned the kiss to Olivia other than asking about the man's identity, but that hadn't put Fitz's overactive mind to rest. He was convinced he had made the worst first impression that he possibly could.

"Did I miss something?" Quinn asked, groaning when Olivia threw her jack of clubs out.

"Nope. Nada."

"I don't believe you, but I'm not Hanna so I'm not going to _demand _that you tell me. Fuck that girly shit."

"Thanks for being you, Quinn." Olivia laughed.

* * *

After Quinn and Huck had left, both stumbling just a bit on their skateboards after the drinks they had all shared around the table, Olivia and Fitz sat cuddled up to each other in front of the television in the basement - watching Get Out. Or they were until Olivia had slowly scooted closer, tossing a leg over Fitz and straddling his waist. Her hands rested on his shoulders, forehead pressed against his - hair falling around their faces. His hands rested against her hips.

"Thank you for spending time with me today." Their faces were so close that her breath mingled with his - forming a hot puff of air between them.

"It was _such _a hard decision for me."

"Fitzgerald!" Olivia laughed - a large smile crossing her face at the semi-offended look he gave her. She had only recently learned that Fitz was short for Fitzgerald and had taken every chance she had to use it. In an odd way, she had become fond of the unusual name.

"Now that's not fair, Liv." He tilted his head back, resting it against the back of the sofa. Still laughing, Olivia lowered her lips to his. Their kiss started out innocent enough. A few pecks with plenty of time in between to catch their breaths. It wasn't long before their kisses were lasting longer and he had slipped his tongue between her lips. Involuntarily, she began moving her hips against his - gasping when she felt the hard bulge in his khaki shorts.

"Fitz," she groaned, pulling back and biting her lip when she felt a large hand covering her breast, squeezing lightly. The unusual tightening in her stomach was a new sensation - a sensation that she both welcomed and was driving her crazy at the same time. She could feel a wet, stickiness coating her underwear and thighs - another new thing for her. When Fitz moved his hands to the hem of her sweatshirt, playing with it before starting to inch underneath, she pulled back. Breathing hard, she shook her head.

"We need to talk first."

* * *

_**A/N - **_Alright - to make up for missing last week's posting (I was on a family vacation and although we had wifi, I didn't take my laptop because we were supposed to be bonding as a family), I'm considering posting the next chapter either sometime this weekend or early next week. We'll see because this is also finals week for me (the end of my first semester for my doctorate program) and I don't know how much time I'm going to get away from working on my final paper. - G. xxxx


	5. The First Time's Good Enough

"_We need to talk first." _

Fitz's hand fell from Olivia's hips, falling between his legs and the sofa cushions. Heart racing and breathing still unsteady, he met her gaze. She had laid her forehead against his once more, her hands cupping his cheeks. Her weight above him made it difficult for him to control his body's reaction. The thin, light-blue Fenty shorts she was wearing weren't enough of a barrier to trick his body into forgetting the direction in which they had been headed.

"About?" He breathed, eyes fluttering closed for a moment as she stroked his cheeks. Her fingers were soft against his skin - a soft groan escaping his lips as she hooked her index fingers behind his ears and began massaging.

"Well…" Olivia darted a tongue between her lips, running it across her already chapped bottom lip. Swallowing, she continued: "I've never…"

Fitz's eyes widened as his mind raced - comprehending what she was trying to tell him. If they continued, he would be her first. And he damn sure wasn't certain he was ready for that. Not even a bucket of ice water could have stopped his erection as fast.

"You've never had sex before."

She nodded, sitting up but remaining in his lap. Her face was flushed - eyes clouded. Clearly, she was still feeling the effects of where they had been heading before this conversation began. Breaths still coming in shallow, quick spurts, she rested her hands on his shoulders.

"I've never been in a serious relationship and I've never _wanted _to before." She kept her eyes trained on his - a raw, open look reflecting in them.

"Do you want to _now_?" It wasn't a question he was asking out of any desire for some validation. He wanted to be sure she understood the consequences of what they had almost done. More importantly, he wanted her to _know _beyond a doubt that she was ready. It was as new to Fitz as it was to Olivia. Before he had met her, he would have jumped at the chance to be some girl's first. Olivia wasn't just some girl, though. He was still hazy on how he felt about her, but he knew enough to know that how he _didn't _feel about her. And he definitely didn't feel about her the way he had every conquest before he had met Olivia.

"I think so."

"Oh Olivia." Fitz wrapped his arms around her, stroking her back through the cutoff hoodie she wore. His fingers moved in slow, even circles. The mood was gone.

"You don't want to?" She looked both relieved and disappointed. It was an odd combination to witness flickering across her features.

"Not like this. No. I want you to _know _this is what you want and I want it to be memorable for you, at least."

She nodded, scooting backwards in his lap until she had room to lay her head on his shoulder. There they sat for what felt like hours - content to just be near one another and listen to their breathing. That was until Olivia spoke.

"Was it...easier with those other girls?" Her voice was low, but it didn't betray any underlying feelings of dejection or insignificance. For all intents and purposes, she was genuinely curious. Tapping her hips until she rolled off him, sitting back in the cushions, he stood.

"In a way it was -" He turned to the glass coffee table and their empty red solo cups. Reaching for the cylindrical, clear bottle of Moscato, he poured some of the Italian champagne into each cup. It really wasn't champagne - they both knew that, but it was an inside joke. One Olivia had made shortly after he had opened the white, sparkling wine. When he twisted, holding the cup toward her, she gladly took it with a smile on her face. Wine, he had learned, was a huge hit with Olivia. "-I wasn't worried about impressing them. I didn't want them to call me back the next day. You, though...You're different."

"Good different?" She winked, lifting her arm and raising her cup toward him from her spot on the sofa. Smirking, he tapped the lip of his cup against hers and took a sip with her - sighing as the sweet nectar slid down his throat. He wasn't a wine enthusiast, but he could see why Olivia liked this particular one.

"You give me butterflies and make me insanely nervous. Right before I fall asleep, I think about you. I think about you when I wake up. I dream about you. I'm pretty sure at this point that I can't ever escape you and that's fine with me. Because nothing I have done in my life compares to sitting in a basement with you, praying your dad doesn't come home and beat me, while we drink _Italian champagne _out of plastic cups."

Suddenly, she was extremely interested by the liquid in her cup. Holding the lip between her teeth, she studied the contents intently. He took that time to study her. Her hair was pulled back - tiny wisps of curls escaping around her ears. She wasn't wearing any makeup. He had noticed that she didn't wear it often. That was fine by him. She was beautiful either way.

"Admit it," she finally broke the silence, her trademark, mischievous glint in her eyes, "this is totally champagne."

"It certainly has the properties of champagne." He chuckled, settling into the seat beside her. She had given him a way out of the dangerously close territory they had edged toward. She wasn't ready to discuss her feelings. And so what? Truthfully, he wasn't ready to cross that river yet, either. There was more he could say. So much more. But why spoil the moment? That could wait for another time. When they were both ready. For now, they would just have to settle for enjoying each other's company.

"It's champagne," she ascertained, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "Damn French always monopolising things."

"Monopolising?"

"You know - Moscato is definitely champagne but it can't be called champagne because it isn't made in Champagne because well...the French." She was flushed, pupils slightly dilated. The alcohol was definitely doing its work on her.

"Ah yes. Well that summons up most of European history. _Because the French_."

She sat her cup on the table, sliding down on the couch until her head was resting against the armrest. Giggles escaped her mouth, shaking her tiny body as her eyes lit up. Her own merriment caused Fitz to begin chuckling. It was silly, really. Debating the merits of a wine and making horrible jokes that she probably wouldn't remember in the morning. But damn was it fun. The most fun he had ever had with a girl - even more fun than when he was trying to fuck them. Oh the times were a'changing.

* * *

"Damn you dress up nice." Olivia winked, whispering in Fitz's ear from behind before waltzing to his side and interlacing her arm with his. She wore an off-the-shoulder white dress with small, blue designs and carried a worn leather Bible under her arm, hair falling to her shoulders in curls. Her nude heels gave her a little added height, but she still stood shorter than Fitz. He smiled at their appearance. They hadn't planned to match - he didn't even know she would be at church, but his navy suit complemented her dress well.

"Right back at ya, Pope." He threw a hasty glance toward his aunt. Camille and her husband, Slate, were travelling just a few feet behind them. They were busy, at the moment, talking to Margot who was carrying a sleeping Sylvia in her arms. Fitz had only met the baby a handful of times and each one she had been in the midst of screaming her lungs out. Olivia had assured him that it was the common thing for Sylvia to do.

"Did you just-? That's it. No kissing for a week."

He turned his head side to side, nervously taking in the surrounding members of the community. She hadn't bothered to whisper. Instead, she had spoken at regular volume.

"Are we...Are we announcing this?" He used his hands to gesture between them.

"Fitz, I have my arm wrapped around yours. It's a small town. Gossip will be going around before we even make it home."

"Well in that case…"

"Don't you dare," she warned, laughing, "Not in front of Margot. She's given me enough hell about kissing you already."

"Why would she give you hell? I'm a fairly likeable guy."

"Because I don't ever tell her about boys. General rule."

"General rule, huh?"

"She's too girly."

"Ah. So nothing like you and Quinn?"

"Think more of Hanna."

"Speaking of Hanna...I haven't seen her around."

"She was in the middle row today. _Everyone _goes to church."

"I gathered that. But she hasn't been hanging out with all of us."

"That's because she talks about you."

"About me?"

"About you."

"Good things about me?"

"She thinks you're hot. I haven't told her that we're kind of...something right now."

"Something? Is that how we refer to each other now?"

"Kind of."

"Well then...something, would you like to get lunch with me?"

"Um...definitely, _something_."

And so they found themselves standing beside a hotdog vendor in front of Hildegard's. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they ate the condiment covered hotdogs while they watched the guys across the street working away at their workbenches. The dark-haired man in the back, round glasses on his face, was staring hard at the bicycle on his bench. To Fitz, the bike looked to be in perfect condition - all the parts together and its hot pink paint shining brightly under what little sunlight was streaming clear to the back of the workshop. It made Fitz think of something Zeke had said weeks ago.

"Is that David?"

Olivia lifted her head, hotdog dangling in midair, and studied the figure Fitz was pointing toward. Taking the last bite of her hotdog, she chewed slowly before swallowing. Even after that show of finishing her meal, she took her time walking to the metal trash bin and throwing her trash away before returning.

"Yeah. That's David."

"Zeke said all of you used to be friends."

"Yeah. We did." She crossed her arms, eyes still focused on the man watching the bike with intensity.

"He seems like a -"

"You don't have to fish," she interrupted, "If Zeke told you about David, he told you about Abby and why David and I don't talk."

Fitz nodded, a guilty look covering his face and trudged toward the trash bin. Throwing his trash away, he returned to their spot - gaze following Olivia's to David.

"He did."

"It's...painful. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay."

* * *

_**A/N - **_Alright. Finals were over Sunday (I got A's which is a huge deal for me! I waited a while after getting my degree in English before deciding to return for another Master's) and I took the break week in between classes away from **everything** to rejuvenate. But I'm back now and I have so many updates to read! :)

What did you guys think? Next chapter you guys see Fitz and Olivia get a LOT closer to doing the deed. ;)

G. xxxx


	6. This is It

"Hello?"

"You haven't been calling, Fitzgerald."

"Sorry, gran." Fitz rubbed the back of his neck, his attention focused on the storefront across the boardwalk. Any minute now Olivia should be finishing her shift, locking up, and joining him. He was anxious for that moment - he and Zeke had concocted a little surprise for their group of friends. Zeke was currently running around town gathering everyone. Olivia and Hanna and Huck had been assigned to Fitz.

"How have you been?" She wasn't angry. That was always a good sign. After all, he had been neglectful when it came to calling her. It seemed she was the one initiating all their conversations these days. Fitz couldn't help it, though. He was almost always preoccupied by something else here in Birmingram.

"Good. This was exactly what I needed. How is everything at home?" His attention was drawn to the open garage door at his back. A loud crash and a string of curse words had carried into the street. Looking through the wide open doors, Fitz was greeted by a scene of complete and utter chaos. Parts littered the floor and papers twirled lazily before the box fans sitting around the shop. Huck met Fitz's eyes briefly, shrugging his broad shoulders and bending to retrieve a few pieces of paper.

"That's great. Have you spoken with Melody?"

Frowning, he watched as a glossy photo floated out of the shop. Reaching a hand out, he grabbed hold of the shiny photograph. Twisting it around in his hand, all the swirling thoughts of the _annoying _Mellie Roberts and his grandmother's reason for bringing her up (they'd never met for crying out loud) left his mind as he stared down at the photo. A pale, blue-eyed redhead stared back at him - a wide grin covering her face as she sat on a blue and white bike. A black helmet covered her head and she wore elbow and knee pads. She had her feet on the ground, one arm resting lazily on her handlebars and the other held in front of her - her index finger extended above her closed fist in a 1.

"Fitzgerald?"

His grandmother's voice called him out of his trance and still, for a moment, he was unable to quite use his voice. "I...I'm so-sorry, gran. I'll have to call you back."

He didn't think about the consequences or the grovelling he was going to have to do, he ended the phone call and slipped his phone into his back pocket. Licking his dry lips, he lifted his gaze to the chaotic scene of the shop once more. Huck had collected all the errant papers and stacked them on a rickety chair in the corner. One of the guys Fitz didn't know was busy picking parts off the floor and piling them beside his workstation. None of that; however, drew his attention quite like the shorter guy in the back. His glasses were askew and his hands gripped the sides of his workstation, his head bent. David. He had the look of a defeated man.

Swallowing, Fitz took a step into the bike shop. It was an irony that didn't go unnoticed by him. He couldn't ride a bike - didn't really have any feelings _about _bikes, but here he was. Striding into a bike shop like he belonged. There had to be a joke in there somewhere. Fitz nodded at Huck's raised, two finger wave. Continuing toward the back of the shop - past the commotion and the mess, he halted beside David's workstation. The long, wooden workstation was covered in oil stains and tools littered the scratched surface.

"Misplace something?"

At the sound of Fitz's voice, David lifted bloodshot eyes. He didn't look particularly angry, but he did have the dejected look of a defeated man. Fitz didn't need a degree or even to personally know the man to see that David was struggling. For a brief moment, the thought entered Fitz's head that David's and Olivia's feelings were, more than likely, similar. Olivia must have been better at hiding them. She did have a way of clamming up every time they got remotely close to talking about her friend.

"Thanks." David took the photo from Fitz's hands, smoothing it out on the desk and studying the picture. The picture that seemed impossibly bright in this dark corner of the workshop.

With a slight inclination of his head, Fitz stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned to walk away. David's voice, though, stopped him.

"You're Zeke's cousin, right?"

"Yeah. David, right?" He didn't really need to ask that question, but for the sake of _not _appearing to have gossiped about the poor bloke's past, Fitz asked anyway.

"Yeah. You've been hanging out with Liv."

It wasn't a question and it took Fitz by surprise. He had been under the impression that David had quit paying attention to the group of friends years ago. That David had completely distanced himself from them.

"She's...yeah." He had caught himself before he could launch into all the reasons _why _he hung out with Olivia. It was hard not to talk her up.

"She's a great friend. Tell her...tell her I said hi."

Fitz nodded. That wasn't something he had been expecting. Not from David. Pulling a hand out of his pocket and rubbing the nape of his neck, he opened his mouth and began rambling about his and Zeke's plans for the evening.

"We're playing kickball at the dunes in a couple hours. If you want to come. Zeke said you and Liv used to organise these games." He purposely didn't mention Abby. Zeke had, of course, told Fitz that it had been the infamous trio who had started the late-night kickball games during the summer. Fitz didn't have to be told, though, that David wouldn't have appreciated hearing Abby's name in that moment.

"Maybe."

It was the only answer Fitz was going to get from David and so, with a shrug of his shoulders and one final look at the guy, he turned on his heel and strode out of the workshop. Across the street, Olivia stood behind the register - the drawer open and counting the money that was in her hands. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders and she wore a pair of cutoff jeans and a white, floral tank top. She was smiling at something Hanna had said by the time Fitz reached the glass door and rapped his knuckles against it.

"Fitz!" Hanna grinned as she opened the door, standing to the side and allowing Fitz to enter the store. He nodded at her. She had toned her comments down after Olivia had, not so subtly, told her to back off. The gossip that had gone through town after the display following church had been the final hint that the blonde had needed. And so she was friendly, but not flirty.

"Hey Hanna." Striding across the room, Fitz stopped before Olivia. Her concentration didn't falter and it wasn't until she had counted the last of the money in the register, placed it in a dark blue bank bag, and signed a deposit slip that she glanced at him.

"You're out late," she observed, tearing the deposit slip from the pad and slipping it into the bank bag. The sound of the zipper sliding shut was loud.

"I wanted to invite you to a game."

"A game?" she questioned, tucking the dark blue bag under her arm and walking the short distance to the little office down the tiny hall. He could hear her fumbling with the lock on the safe before it clicked open. A moment later, the sound of the door slamming shut reverberated through the store before she emerged from the office. She locked the door behind her and gestured for him to follow her from the store.

"We're playing kickball at the dunes," he announced as they huddled outside the store, waiting on Hanna to finish locking up the place.

"_We're_?" Olivia's shock had only lasted a moment or two before she had managed to control her expression - turning to a bemused smirk.

"Zeke, me, Huck, Harrison, Quinn. I'm supposed to get you and Hanna. I think Zeke said he was inviting a few more people. I don't know them but we need the players." He purposely didn't say anything about David. The man might not even show up and if he did...maybe this would be just the thing Olivia needed to reunite with her friend.

Shaking her head, Olivia's lips curled upward into a smile as she asked: "Are you ready to lose?"

* * *

And man did they lose. Not that anyone had bothered to truly keep score. This was a tradition that hadn't occurred for the past two years - most of the participants cared more about simply playing than they did rather or not they won. Since it had been Zeke and Fitz's idea, Olivia had decided that they should captain the teams and, to Fitz's annoyance, Zeke had been quick to pick Olivia for his team. She was one hell of a player and, although _most _of their friends didn't care about winning or losing, Zeke definitely did. He was competitive. Fitz was sure it was a family thing.

"That was one of the best nights I've had in years." Olivia snuck up behind Fitz, wrapping her arms around his waist. Her wet hair, courtesy of the few times she had had to wade into the water to retrieve an errant kick or run through the tide to second, stuck to her face. She had sand marks on her jean shorts where she had slid into home - narrowly avoiding being tagged by Quinn.

"I think I have you beat -" Fitz grinned, twisting around to face her, "-that was the most fun I have ever had."

Fitz looked about as bad as Olivia. His face was still flushed from all the running he had done and his clothes were a mess of ocean water and sand. His shoes were still lying somewhere along the boardwalk with everyone else's - he'd kicked them off when the rest of the group had. Running around in the sand, he'd quickly learned why they didn't wear shoes when they played. The extra speed and grip on the beach (as well as not worrying about running with sand in your shoes) was worth the few seconds of stinging he had felt each and every time he had kicked the ball.

"England sounds so lame." Olivia wrinkled her nose.

"Just my childhood." Fitz laughed, pecking her lips.

"Olivia."

Fitz pulled away from Olivia, taking a moment to glance down into her startled face, before he released her. She turned slowly - eyes widening as she took in the sight of her one time friend. David looked considerably better than he had when Fitz had seen him at the bike shop earlier that evening. At least he looked slightly less defeated now.

Gripping Fitz's hand, Olivia spoke:

"David."

* * *

**A/N: **So I thought this was the chapter where things got heated between Olitz, but that's next chapter. Oops. (It's been nearly a year since I finished writing these earlier chapters).

David and Olivia are getting closer to finally _speaking_. Fitz's gran just brought Mellie up for some reason (any guesses?), Olivia seems to have put Hanna in her place, and our favourite couple are moving along. Of course, there's still the matter of Fitz's secret that he hasn't told Olivia (any guesses on when/if he will tell?).

Until next time,

Gabi


	7. A Little Messed Up But We're All Alright

"_David." _Olivia's mouth was dry, beads of sweat forming along her palms. He looked almost as nervous as she felt. She tightened her hand around Fitz's, nails digging into the back of his hand, but he didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, Liv." David rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, the other buried deep in his pocket. His glasses were askew, but other than that he still looked like the same old David that she had once loved. Not in a romantic way. Never in a romantic way. David had been the brother she'd never had and when he and Abby had started dating...Abby was her sister from another mister - it was the _only _way the two best friends would describe each other in fourth grade and, although they had used it less and less as they aged, they never quite stopped. Abby's mom had once joked that they were best friends only because God knew she couldn't have handled them as sisters.

"It's...been a while." Olivia swallowed, her tongue darting out to lick her dry lips. All the joy she had felt just minutes earlier was melting away. Her stomach hurt - her intestines felt like they were doing an intricate dance and tying themselves in knots. Talking to David after so long was hard. Incredibly hard.

"Yeah. You um...you look good." He inclined his head in Fitz's direction - almost as if he were trying to let the other man know that his compliment hadn't been made out of ill intentions. Fitz nodded back, pulling his hand from Olivia's tight grip. She tilted her head to the side, studying his movements. Fitz lifted his arm, resting it across Olivia's back.

"You do, too." Olivia raised a hand, twirling a wet lock around her finger and nibbling on her lip thoughtfully. "You missed the game."

"I wasn't sure I could…"

"It's okay. I get it." And she did. She hadn't been sure she could handle the game, either, when Fitz had first brought it up and without Fitz...Olivia knew she wouldn't have come if she didn't have Fitz by her side. It was too painfully reminiscent of the many nights they had spent on this very strip of beach, playing this very game with a certain vivacious, hilarious redhead who was more competitive than the rest of them put together. If it wasn't for Fitz, she would still be caught on that instead of making new memories.

"Thanks for the invite, though."

Olivia's eyes followed David's gaze, her brows turning upward as she looked at Fitz. The corner of Fitz's lip curled upward and he shrugged his shoulders, his arm rising and falling on Olivia's back.

"You two know each other?"

"We met this afternoon."

"I almost lost something important, but Fitz returned it."

Olivia observed the sliver of a moment between her one time friend and her boyfriend. There was a bit more to the story, but neither was speaking up and Olivia had the feeling that neither wanted to discuss how they had met. She decided it wasn't important anyway.

"How's the shop?" She didn't mean to yawn. Sleep didn't come easily to her and she was used to staying up until the sun rose. So why was she so damn tired all of a sudden?

"It's going -" David shrugged "-You look tired."

"Long day." It hadn't been any longer than usual, but she _had _woken up around eight to Sylvia's cries. She'd spent the first couple hours pushing the baby around the pier - something about her stroller and the waves crashing against the shore had a way of quieting her little sister. After that, she'd had breakfast with Fitz and spent an hour or so trying to teach him how to ride a bike at the park before going to Hildegard's. Then she had come here to play with their friends.

"Yeah," David agreed, "Do you want to get lunch tomorrow? With Fitz?"

Olivia nodded, finding it hard to use her voice. Lunch dates had been a regular thing back when Abby was still there. The three didn't go anywhere alone. And so, she felt like she didn't really have to ask where or when they would be meeting, but she did anyway.

"Beachside at noon?"

"Sounds good. I haven't been there since...In years. I haven't been there in years."

That didn't surprise Olivia. David hadn't done much of anything since Abby's death. He hadn't had the support system that Olivia had - her parents (as shoddy and self-absorbed as they were sometimes), her other friends, and Margot. God Margot had been a lifesaver.

"See you then."

"Bye, Liv."

"Bye, David."

* * *

"As good as I remember." David didn't lift his attention from the bacon cheeseburger in his hands. He had demolished his onion rings almost the minute Zeke had set them on the cracked ceramic table top. Fitz had had to shoo Zeke away - poor kid was terrible at social cues and his gawking at David hadn't done anything to make the situation any less awkward. Olivia was entirely certain that Zeke had already sent a mass group text out to let everyone know that she was having lunch with David.

"They haven't lost their touch," Olivia agreed. Her plate of onion rings still sat before her - only a few missing. She wasn't huge on lunch. Never had been. So instead, she was focusing on the vanilla milkshake that sat in front of her. The cool, thick shake was the perfect after being out in the midsummer heat all morning. Fitz was still struggling with the basic mechanics of bike-riding, but they were making progress.

"I heard you were working at Hildegard's this summer." David had finally finished his burger and was using his napkin to wipe at the grease on his fingers. Olivia lowered her gaze for a moment - discussing their lives like two strangers hurt. The pain was almost as bad as it had been watching David demolish his meal like he hadn't had a solid, warm meal in years. Judging from the way he looked, Olivia didn't think that was far from the truth.

"Margot needed the extra help with the books now that Sylvia's here."

"I saw her with Margot the other day. Cute kid. Odd name."

Olivia swallowed, trying to keep the sad smile from crossing her face. Everyone commented on Sylvia's name. Everyone. So of course David would comment. Except David, like Olivia and Abby, loved to read and that love had led to an extremely well-read individual. His commentary on Sylvia's name, like Olivia's before him, had less to do about the name itself and more about Sylvia's famous namesake.

"Margot hates it. I told my dad it was awful."

The ghost of a smile flittered across David's lips and for a moment, Olivia was sure she had seen his old sparkle in his eyes. It made her heart swell. After Abby's death, Olivia had kept her distance from David for a couple reasons. One of them was that he had fallen into a deep, dark abyss that she didn't think he would ever crawl out of. It was selfish - she knew she should have been there for him, but for her own sake, she had to escape that pit of despair. She didn't think she'd ever see him smile again. Thank God for small miracles.

"How's that going? If you want to talk about it."

Olivia took a deep breath. That was a loaded question. She didn't talk about her family much, but David had been there when Liv's parents were going through their divorce. He'd hung out with her at the jump park at midnight - when she couldn't sleep and she couldn't stay in the house, listening to her parents fight, any longer. He'd listen to her vent and when she didn't feel like talking, he'd challenge her to perfect whatever stunt jump he was currently working on. Or they'd hang out on a bench on the boardwalk and drink coffee.

"It is what it is. Dad's got a lot of growing up to do." But she wasn't that naive teenager anymore. She didn't _need _to escape arguments (her father had done that for her when he'd decided to move out) and she had come to see her father's flaws. Margot had a right to be upset with Eli - he'd forced a name on their daughter and he was always too busy writing or working to help with Sylvia. He was selfish and put his career before his family. There had been a time when Olivia would have made excuses for the man, but now she saw him for who he was - the male version of her mother. No wonder that marriage hadn't lasted.

"If you ever need to talk or blow off some steam…"

"Thanks, David. I've been a...shitty friend lately."

"Hey, don't do that." David reached across the table, placing his hand ontop of Olivia's and holding her gaze with his. "We had to find ourselves. She...she was a big part of our lives. The glue of our friendship. We needed to heal before we could move on."

Olivia cleared her throat, choking back tears, and brought her loose hand up to lay atop David's, patting his tanned hand. Their gazes didn't waver as they sat there - hands ontop of hands and conveying every apology and emotion they had felt in the last two years. All the guilt and rawness of the accident was laid before them and, silently, they agreed to move forward - to make a new path for their friendship.

Finally, they pulled apart and Olivia used her index finger to swipe at the tears that were slowly trickling down her cheeks. She smiled appreciatevly at Fitz, who had been silently drinking his own chocolate shake up until this moment - allowing the friends to recconect without his intervention, when he casually drapped his arm across the back of the booth, squeezing her shoulder with his hand.

"So…" David cleared his throat, adjusting the black frames of his glasses. Olivia could tell from the redness of his eyes and the raspiness of his voice that he had been close to tears as well. "Are we making the kickball games a thing again?"

"That wasn't my rodeo." Olivia smiled, tilting her head to look at Fitz.

"That was Zeke's idea. I only agreed to help get you there."

"I guess we'll just have to take over again."

Olivia laughed, nodding her head at David's suggestion. It felt good to be back in charge - to be the ones always planning things for their group. No one else seemed to care too much about the planning process and they certainly didn't have the creative ideas that she, David, and Abby had come up with in the past.

"By the way, it's killing Zeke that he doesn't know what's going on."

Olivia glanced to the side where Zeke was casually leaning against the wall, watching their table. She shook her head, laughing. Of course Zeke was curious about what was going on. She knew that having lunch with David would be a monumental moment in their group and that once their friends had caught wind of what was happening, they would all want details. Everyone was eager for things to return to the way they had been.

"We might as well call him over and pay so he doesn't have a reason to watch us," Olivia suggested, raising her hand and pointing at Zeke before waving him over.

"I'll pay," David offered.

"I've got it," Fitz countered, reaching for the receipt as soon as Zeke drew near and taking the paper from his cousin. He chuckled at the look on David's face, pacifying him by stating:

"You can pay next time."

* * *

"Seriously?" Fitz's phone began ringing in Olivia's hand - he'd asked her to hold onto it and his wallet while he used the restroom. Zeke had been texting both of them non-stop - trying to get any detail he could about their lunch with David. And now he had resorted to calling. Olivia was over it. Sliding her finger across the screen, she brought the phone to her ear and spoke:

"Drop it. We're not telling you a fucking thing, Zeke." Olivia's heart thumped in her chest as adrenaline pumped through her veins - her fight or flight response flaring up courtesy of this confrontation with her friend. She liked Zeke. For all his faults, she truly liked him. He was the goofy, lovable brother that always got into trouble. But damn if he wasn't nosey. Her conversation with David wasn't any of Zeke's business.

"I beg your pardon?" The shrill, feminine voice with the posh accent definitely didn't belong to Zeke. Olivia could feel her cheeks burning. She had, most likely, just shoved her foot in her mouth with one of Fitz's family members. Oh why had she answered his phone?

"I...I'm sorry. I...thought you were someone else." Olivia stumbled through the apology. The only sentence the woman on the other line had uttered had brimmed with authority and command. Throwing a glance toward the closed door of the beachside restroom, Olivia placed all her hope in Fitz tossing the door open and strolling out any second now. It didn't take that long to pee.

"This is Fitzgerald's phone, is it not?"

"Um...he's...he's…"

"Who's that?"

Olivia sighed. Saved. Finally. Raising her gaze to Fitz, she pulled his phone from her ear and held it toward him.

"I thought it was Zeke." That was her only explanation as Fitz took the phone from her outstretched hand and held it to his ear.

"Hello?

Hi gran."

Olivia silently groaned. His grandmother? She had said fuck to his grandmother? Olivia didn't know much about Fitz's family, but she did know that his parents had died when he was young and that his grandmother had raised him. And now she'd gone and made a complete fool of herself in front of the woman. Could this get any worse?

"I know. I'm sorry, ma'am."

Olivia tilted her head. _That _wasn't something you heard everyday. She smiled to herself when he reached his free hand toward hers, wrapping his fingers around her hand and strolling down the sandy beach once more. Fitz had sounded slightly embarrassed when he'd apologised to his grandmother (Olivia hoped not because of how she had answered his phone), but it was sweet how respectful he was with her.

"Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again."

He caught her staring at him and winked. Olivia shook her head - it sounded like he had quite a bit of grovelling to do. What had Fitz done?

"I'm at the beach.

With a friend, yes.

She's sorry."

Olivia's cheeks began to burn once more at Fitz's deep, rumbling laughter. She could only imagine what his grandmother was telling him.

"I will.

I promise. I'll give you a call tomorrow.

Yes, ma'am.

I love you."

He slid his phone back into his pocket, glancing at Olivia.

"You said fuck to my grandmother, eh?"

"I _thought _she was, Zeke."

Fitz shook his head, his laughter echoing down the beach.

"Oh, Olivia. If only you knew."

* * *

"This is insane. You're insane! You know that, right?" Fitz called from his place on the beach where he was sliding his shoes and socks off. He could just barely make out the sight of Olivia floating in the dark, glittering water. The full moon was high in the sky, but still wasn't giving enough light to penetrate the murky darkness of the ocean.

"Fun. The word you're looking for is fun."

Fitz shook his head, pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it beside his shoes. He was buzzed from the drinks they had had earlier while watching Netflix in her basement, but he wasn't quite buzzed enough to think that going for a late night swim was a great idea. Olivia on the other hand...once the idea was in her head, she had quickly discarded her pyjamas and ran through the sliding doors in the basement toward the ocean - her underwear becoming her makeshift bathing suit.

"You owe me for this," Fitz mumbled, edging toward the water and cringing at the chilliness that covered his feet. He knew that it would be best to forge ahead and so he quickly splashed through the water, ignoring the coldness as it inched up his legs and toward his bare chest. By the time he reached Olivia, treading water, the water had reached his collarbone. And so he didn't protest when she lazily swam toward him and wrapped her legs around his waist, resting her arms on his shoulders.

"Aren't you worried about sharks?"

"No. Dad put a shark barrier around our beach when he bought the house."

"So you aren't as crazy as I thought."

"Ha ha." Her wet hair was falling into her eyes - her sparkling, mischievous eyes. Licking her lips, she placed them on his.

"Mmm. And what did I do to deserve that?"

"You're here. With me. Only minimally questioning my crazy."

"I've come to rather enjoy your crazy."

She tossed her head back, musical laughter spilling from her mouth and in that moment, the moon finally decided to cooperate. Luminous light fell across their bodies, allowing Fitz to fully see the woman in his arms. Tendrils of hair was falling from her bun, curling around her ears as the water hit them. Her white, lacy bra was suddenly completely see-through and, with some difficulty, Fitz forced his gaze to remain on her face.

"Fitz...I'm ready."

"You're…"

"Ready."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Well, it's not going to happen right _now_. But we'll go on a date. Everything will be perfect and then…"

"Okay." Olivia's smile lit up her face and she pressed her lips to his again. Despite the incident with his grandmother, it really had been a great day.

* * *

**A/N - **This is one of the chapters that I will always remember as being a blast to write. The scene with Olivia and Fitz's gran was one of my favourites to write! What do you guys think will come out of that one? And now Olivia and David are on their way to mending their friendship and Olivia has told Fitz that she's ready for the next step. Hmm…

Next chapter has a lot of parts going on - a conversation between Fitz and his gran about our girl. Fitz and Olivia's date and their next step (will they or won't they?). The group's reaction to the David/Olivia news. And we'll finally find out why Fitz's gran mentioned Mellie's name.

Until next time,

Gabi xxx


	8. Goodbye, Old You

"Something had to be done."

Fitz sat on the corner of his bed, picking at a stray string on the patchwork quilt that covered his bed. Wrapping the turquoise string around his finger, his gaze travelled to the large window beside his bed. Grey clouds loomed over the ocean and rain pelted the glass of the window. The storm had come from nowhere and taken the residents of the town quite by surprise. Fitz and Zeke had been about a block from home - laden with grocery bags after Camille had asked them to go shopping, when the sudden downpour had begun. Even running home as they had done, they were soaked by the time they made it through the front door. And so, after unloading the bags of groceries in the kitchen, Fitz had changed into dry clothes and called his grandmother.

"How did she get your number?"

A sudden loud, room-shaking rumble of thunder caused Fitz to jump slightly. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the room. Wind howled outside, whipping the trees back and forth as the electricity flickered in the house. It nearly went out a moment or two before stabilising.

"You didn't give it to her?"

"She probably got into my mobile at some point. I'm sorry, gran." Fitz wanted nothing more than to call Mellie and give her a piece of his mind. At the same time, though, he didn't want to hear her voice and, thanks to his grandmother, Mellie had been served with a no-contact order that was effective for all members of their family. Apparently, Mellie had taken to calling his grandmother daily to ask for his whereabouts.

"Well she's taken care of for now. You must be more careful in the future, Fitzgerald."

"About that, gran…" Fitz twisted away from the window, bringing his free hand to the nape of his neck and running it through the curls there. He needed a haircut, badly.

"_Another _girl, Fitzgerald? The one who…"

"Yes, _that _one, gran. She's...different."

"As long as she isn't another Mellie."

"She's nothing like Mellie, gran. She's nothing like any of the girls I've been with before. She's...Olivia." A smile crossed his face when his gaze fell on the lime green helmet Olivia had given him. She was a stickler about that helmet - refusing to let him ride her bike without it. Safety first, she liked to remind him.

"Does she know?"

"No, gran."

"Fitzgerald, _how _is she any different? If that statement were true and you _were_ considering a future with this girl, you would have told her. I may be uncomfortable with anyone there knowing who you are, but this girl _should _know."

"I'm afraid to tell her, gran. It's _what _makes her different from the other girls."

"I'm afraid I don't quite follow."

"For the first time, a girl is with me because of who I am and not because of my title. That's all Mellie and all the others ever saw. They didn't care about anything else. Olivia doesn't even know and she still chooses to spend her time with me."

"If she truly cares for you, Fitzgerald, knowing the truth won't change that."

Fitz sighed, another rumble of thunder drawing his attention to the large window where lightning was once more streaking across the sky. The clouds didn't appear to be quite as dark as they had been. With any luck, the storm would be gone by that evening. He and Olivia had plans, after all.

"You're right."

"Of course I'm right."

Fitz chuckled with his gran - she was _always _right. There wasn't a time that her advice had led him astray. Although, truth be told, he was terrible at following advice. If he had listened to her, there never would have been a Mellie.

"Thanks, gran."

"Tell her, Fitzgerald. Don't wait until it's too late."

"I will, gran."

"And don't forget to give me a ring!"

"Of course, gran."

"Goodbye, Fitzgerald."

* * *

"This storm is wicked!" Quinn entered Hildegard's dripping wet, her skateboard in her hand. Leaning it against the wall by the door, she pulled her helmet from her head - revealing somewhat dry hair. She ran her fingers through her hair as it fell down her back, walking the distance from the entrance to the counter. Olivia and Hanna stood behind the register, chatting. There hadn't been a customer since the violent storm had started.

"Are you crazy?"

"You really have to ask that, Han?" Olivia raised a brow toward the blonde, shaking her head. Hanna giggled, shrugging, and returned her attention to the fashion magazine she was flipping through.

"I was about halfway here when it started." Quinn shrugged, glancing at the magazine Hanna had laying on the counter and rolling her eyes. Pretending to gag on her finger, Quinn turned her attention to Olivia.

"What brings you here so early on such a lovely day?"

"Weirdo," Olivia tsked, "I finished payroll."

"This early? Did we have plans I didn't know about?" Quinn placed her hands on the counter and lifted her body until she was just high enough to slide her butt onto the pink counter. Water plopped in a steady stream from her shirt onto the counter - a small puddle collecting to her sides. Olivia bent, rummaging under the counter for a moment before producing a white towel. Tossing it to Quinn, she answered her friend's question:

"_We_ don't have plans. Fitz is taking me on a date."

"Oh damn!" Quinn whistled, using the towel to dab at her clothes. She had begun to shake somewhat at the chill of the air conditioner. "Look at lover boy being all sweet."

Olivia rolled her eyes and and maneuvered around the counter. Quinn liked Fitz. Olivia didn't have to worry about that. Quinn's comment was genuine, and maybe a little funny, but having a boyfriend was still new to Olivia - who also happened to be an extremely private person even with her friends. All the jokes and remarks that Quinn was so quick to come up with made Olivia a tad uncomfortable. Quinn was comfortably public - something Olivia only hoped she would be one day.

"Where is he taking you?" Hanna's question was accompanied by the popping of a large, pink bubble.

"The fair if it's not raining. I don't know if he has a backup. This was a little…"

"Out of nowhere?" Quinn turned to glance out the glass doors where rain was still falling to the boardwalk in heavy sheets. It was impossible to see out the doors.

"It's crazy. I don't think I've ever seen it do this."

"Not without warning." Quinn shrugged, her attention turning back to her friends. "What are you wearing?"

"This." Olivia gestured toward her outfit. Quinn tilted her head, studying the black skinny jeans, Metallica shirt, and beige Converse Olivia was wearing. With a large grin, she gave her seal of approval in the form of a thumbs up.

"I tried getting her to buy that cute shirt-dress over there." Hanna pointed toward a baby blue dress hanging on a rack to her left. The dress prompted a frown and quick shake of the head from Quinn.

"Olivia's is better. You don't wear a dress to the fair."

"That's what I told her."

"Ignore the fashionista and have fun." Quinn winked.

* * *

"It's not going to be terribly muddy?" Fitz peered out the window of his aunt's home. The rain had finally let up around noon, slowing to a drizzle for about an hour before fizzling out altogether. No one had an explanation for the sudden rainstorm or where it had gone, but everyone was happy that it was gone. Fitz had learned since the fair's start at the beginning of the week that the whole county went crazy for this week. Rain was a major damper.

"Somewhat…" Camille shrugged, pulling another towel from the laundry basket she had resting on the sofa. "You can wear Zeke's boots. He's working tonight. I'd change into jeans, too."

Fitz glanced down at his khakis and button-down. It wasn't what he was planning on wearing for this date. Hell, he didn't know _what _he was going to wear. County fairs weren't exactly in his realm of expertise. Camille's guidance was a big help.

"What do you _do _at these things?"

Finishing with the towel in her hands and laying it atop the other neat, square shaped towels she had folded, Camille turned her attention toward Fitz. "Olivia likes the rides, but the animal barns are her favourites. She won't want to watch the tractor pulls - Abby loved those and so she avoids them. Play a game and win her something. It's cheesy, but all the girls love it."

Fitz nodded, trying to make a mental note of all the things his aunt had suggested. This date was important. As much as he and Olivia had been hanging out and despite the titles they had bestowed upon one another, they hadn't actually gone on a date. _He _hadn't been on an actual date in a long time. Dating wasn't what he did. Not even close.

"She doesn't know." He wasn't sure why he had blurted that last bit out. He wasn't sure that aunt Camille would know what he was referencing, either. He felt the need to get it off his chest, though - to tell someone who also knew Olivia. Sure his gran had given him sound advice, but he wasn't ready to tell Olivia. Deep down, he knew he was hoping that aunt Camille would share that sentiment.

"You haven't told anyone."

"No."

"Is that hard? Having to pretend that you're someone you're not?" Camille turned around, backing against the arm of the sofa and resting against it. She tilted her head, her blue eyes clouded.

"It's terrifying. It didn't bother me before. Now that I've made friends and met Olivia, I want to tell them. At the same time, I've never had these kind of connections with others. We hangout because we enjoy each other's company. They aren't my friend because of a title."

"That's all your mother ever wanted for you. She loved your dad, Fitz and she loved you more than anything. She _hated _who your father had to be - who _you _have to be. She didn't like being in the public eye and being scrutinised. But she loved him. She wanted you to experience a normal life - to know, if only for a short time, what life would be like if you weren't a prince."

Fitz turned his attention to the window, looking out onto the street. Bright sunlight streamed through the glass panes - the sky now cloudless after the hard rainstorm. It had been a while since he had talked about his mother. It wasn't something he generally did. Talking about Catherine was too painful. Hearing those words from his aunt Camille though… Fitz had known, even as a child, that his mother hadn't been happy about the public aspect of her life. She had long expressed her desire to whisk her son to her hometown and let him enjoy a normal life. It was partly Fitz's motivation for deciding on this particular summer holiday.

"My mum was spectacular. She had a gift and everyone loved her for that."

"Everyone loves you, too."

Fitz jammed his hands into his pockets, his gaze travelling to his feet and his cheeks turning red. Compliments had always embarrassed him - especially when he didn't feel like he deserved them. His mother had been amazing. He was _nothing _like her. At least he didn't think he was. A lot of people compared Fitz to his mother, but try as he might he just could not see the similarities.

"Do you think I should tell Olivia?" Fitz lifted his gaze, turning his attention to his aunt. Camille bit her bottom lip, frowning slightly before she answered.

"I think you should tell her before you leave. Until then, enjoy being with each other. Don't let any of that royalty nonsense come between you."

Sighing, his stomach churning as he contemplated the advice his aunt had just given him (advice that was completely contradictory to the advice his gran had given), Fitz's attention turned to the stairs.

"Thanks, aunt Camille."

* * *

"I know it's corny, but…"

Fitz's gaze followed Olivia's toward the large Ferris Wheel turning in the middle of the fairgrounds. His eyes lit up at the sight of the familiar ride. When he was younger, his mother had taken him for many a ride aboard the London Eye. It was a fond childhood memory of his and had been their way of escape - for a few, way too short minutes, they could be in public without having everyone's eyes on them. And Fitz had fallen in love with the view of London - of _his _city, from atop the giant Ferris Wheel. So no, Olivia's suggestion of riding this particular ride was not corny. To Fitz, it was a way of coming full circle. He had made many a loving memory with his mother on the London Eye and now it was his chance to make new, just as amazing memories with his girlfriend.

"Let's go!" Fitz's eyes sparkled and a grin covered his face as he tugged on Olivia's hand, pulling her toward the end of the large line. They followed the S-shaped line of people through a small section of food booths and an area full of red picnic tables. Their boot-clad feet sunk into the wet ground somewhat, a sucking sound filling the air each time they pulled their feet loose, as they came to a halt at the end of the line - across from the Grandstand. Olivia's eyes fell on an American Quarter Horse trotting around the arena.

"I've always loved horses."

"Me too. Rider's a tad green and she's a bit ring sour." Fitz's gaze followed the horse and its rider as they circled before him. The horse was a beautiful mare with a lively step, but she kept tossing her head to the side and there was a wild look in her eyes. The young rider - a blonde who looked to be slightly younger than Olivia, appeared to have a somewhat hard touch on the reins. Fitz shook his head - the girl didn't appear to be that bad of a rider, but she clearly wasn't comfortable with an English saddle.

"You know a lot about horses?"

"My gran loves them. We all learned to ride at an early age." Fitz tore his gaze from the arena and tugged on Olivia's hand, getting her to edge forward in the line. It wasn't a bad wait - the queue was moving rather quickly thanks to the large amount of people the ride could accommodate. Olivia squeezed his hand, resting her head on his shoulder as they continued moving forward. At the front of the line, the carny gestured for them to take a seat in the car, held in place by his foot. Once settled into the red, cracking cushioned seat with their backs rested against the latticed metal, the carny shut the metal bar over their laps and pulled the lever to his side.

"It's always beautiful on here at night." Olivia smiled when Fitz wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his other hand gripping the cool, metal bar beside her own hands. Lights twinkled around the fairgrounds. Different colours and loud music drifted from the various rides while large, brillant white lights shone on the arena as riders exercised their horses. At the top, they could see the far end of the fairgrounds where bright spotlights shone on the dirt field where the sounds of the derby were drifting toward them on the wind. Even from the distance they could see that the bleachers were crowded - they always were. To the left, just past the fairgrounds boundaries, the ocean sparkled and moved under the moonlight.

"It is a beautiful view." Fitz had only spared the images surrounding them a moment of his time. Instead, his eyes were focused on Olivia as she joyfully took in her surroundings. She was happy - a wide grin covering her face, and laughing giddily at the movement of the ride. As the ride continued its circular motion, images clouded Fitz's head - images of a future he had never imagined before. Now though...he could imagine introducing Olivia to his gran - introducing her to the public. He could see her in a white dress, walking down Westminster Abbey toward him. He could see children - a little girl with her mother's smile and a son who looked like his own father. And sometime, when the day came, he could see Olivia sitting beside him - sharing a duty he now knew he did not want to undertake alone.

"What are you thinking about?" Olivia turned to face him, her smile still plastered on her face, as they reached the top. The ride slowed to a stop as the first of the riders were let off and new ones took their place.

"You," Fitz answered truthfully, leaning forward and watching for Olivia's reaction as he placed his lips atop hers. She eagerly returned his kiss, moving her hands from the bar and wrapping them around his neck.

"Tonight's been perfect," she whispered when he pulled away, resting his forehead on hers.

"It's been better than perfect."

* * *

"I feel weird with Charmander watching," Olivia giggled, her attention falling on the large, stuffed orange Pokemon that Fitz had won for her after playing a game of darts. She had insisted that he didn't need to waste money on carnival games, but couldn't argue against it once he had pointed out that it was tradition for a boyfriend to win his girlfriend some sort of prize. Of course she had chosen Charmander.

"I'll move him," Fitz whispered against Olivia's lips, giving her one more quick peck before pushing himself up. Treading quietly across the hardwood floor to the desk in the corner of Olivia's room, he gingerly grabbed the stuffed Charmander and turned him around to face the corner. On his way back to the bed, Fitz finished shrugging out of his pants.

"Much better." Olivia grinned, opening her arms and inviting Fitz to rest his weight above her once more. She rubbed her hands down his arms, her legs widening as he settled between them.

"I'm glad I could help." Fitz smirked, placing a kiss against her neck. Before going any further, he lifted his gaze to look at her, "Are you still sure this is what you want to do?"

"Yes. Are you still sure you don't want to -"

"One step at a time, Liv." He placed another kiss against her neck, teeth scraping against her skin. Moving down her body, he stopped at her breasts. They were...average, but to him they were as perfect as the rest of her body. Closing his lips around a nipple, he began nipping and sucking eliciting groans from the woman beneath him. Olivia's hands moved to his hair, her legs wrapping around his waist as she began to grind herself against him.

Pulling away from her breast, he blew hot air against her wet skin and grinned when she began writhing beneath him. "Do you like that baby?"

"Yes." She nodded, pulling on the strands of his hair. With one final kiss to her breast, he tugged at her legs until she loosened her grip and allowed him to slide further down her body. Gripping her hand with his and instructing her to rest her legs on his shoulders, he settled on the mattress between her legs.

"Oooh," Olivia moaned, her grip tightening on Fitz's hand at the first feel of his tongue against her wet centre. Working slowly and deliberately, it didn't take him long to have her thrashing beneath him. Her breaths came in short, quick pants and she was soon pulling a handful of her sheet to her mouth and biting on the cottony fabric - anything to keep her moans to a minimal as she exploded around him.

After, the two lay on her bed. Olivia's head rested on Fitz's chest. His own body was finally starting to calm after the effects her moans and groans had had on him. Now, after their full day, he could barely keep his eyes open.

"I could have…" Olivia's sentence trailed as her eyes travelled to Fitz's lower body - covered only by a sheet and his boxers.

"One step at a time, Liv." Fitz yawned, eyes fluttering. "Can we get some sleep before I have to sneak out of here?"

"Who said you have to sneak out of here?"

"Really?"

"I'm 18."

"One step at a -"

"Time. I know."

* * *

**A/N **\- Well, they've taken one closer step. Fitz has a huge decision to make about telling Olivia _everything_ and the two family members he has turned to for advice haven't been much help with their two completely different takes on the situation. We've also learned why Fitz's gran mentioned Mellie. I wonder if she'll cause anymore trouble? Thoughts?

Until next time,

G. xxx


	9. Soakin' Up the Moonlight

"Fitz." Olivia's giggle echoed through her bedroom. She couldn't help herself - the feel of his stubble rubbing against her stomach had her in a fit of laughter. They had been up for a half-hour or so. It wasn't until Margot had called through the bedroom door, telling Olivia that she was taking Sylvia for a walk around the beach, that they had moved from the comfortable embrace they'd fallen asleep in.

"Sorry," he chuckled, tossing the comforter over his head. Chin resting on her stomach, he looked up at her with bright, sparkling blue eyes. Olivia ran her hands through the silky strands of his curly hair. His eyes fluttered shut at the feel of her fingers massaging his scalp. Tilting his head forward, he began placing soft kisses against her skin.

"That feels nice," she sighed, resting her head against the stack of pillows behind her. His large, warm hands inched up her sides. Biting her lip, eyes half-closed, she watched as he covered her breasts with his hands - kneading and squeezing the sensitive flesh. Panting heavily as he continued nipping at her stomach, soothing the gentle bites with his tongue, she gripped his shoulders.

"You taste good." With a final pinch of her nipple and a flick of his thumb, Fitz moved his hands to Olivia's hips. Gripping her hips, Fitz placed one last kiss above her belly button before moving further down her body. Instinctively opening her legs, Olivia provided Fitz with plenty of room to settle on the mattress at the end of the bed. Resting her legs on his shoulders, she dug her elbows into the bed and struggled to sit up amongst the pillows. Unlike the previous night, she now had some experience - some knowledge of what to do.

"Are you...sure we...damn...aren't…" Olivia's questions came in between pants, words jumbled as she struggled to hold onto her train of thought. She knew what she was trying to say, but getting those words out and forming a sentence was hard to do with Fitz's tongue moving against her clit. Pulling back, blowing cool air against her, Fitz answered:

"Not yet, Liv."

She accepted his answer, for the moment. Her thoughts were racing as he continued moving his mouth against her. A breathy moan escaped her lips at the feel of his finger pressing against her. It was a new sensation - he hadn't done _that _the night before. The feeling of his finger sliding into her was different. A good kind of different that she soon decided was even better than just his mouth. With little effort, he had her writhing and moaning beneath him. When she did come, his name tumbled from her lips.

After, Olivia lay on her back with Fitz's head on her stomach as her breathing began to slow. Her hands moved lightly in his hair, fingers twirling his curls around them. His breath was warm against her stomach, his chest rising and falling unevenly as he willed his own body to calm down. She could feel the outline of his semi-erect dick against her leg. It took all her self-control not to rub her leg against him - she was _ready_ for that next step and, laying as they were, she was all the more curious to know what it would feel like to have him inside her.

"Are you working today?" He asked, lifting his head to look up at her.

"Just a couple hours."

"Meet me at the skatepark after?"

"Are we riding again? I thought you were over that?" Her musical laugh filled the room, hands falling from his scalp to his shoulders. He hadn't completely given up on riding, but after a few nasty knee scraps he had decided to hang his helmet for a bit. The summer was winding to an end and, while Olivia couldn't entirely relate to his reasoning, he had told her that he didn't want to go home and explain any bodily images (no matter how minor) to his grandmother. And so, they hadn't been riding lately.

"No," his own chuckled mingled with hers, "There are some things we need to talk about."

"Is it bad?" Her laugh died down and her eyes widened ever so slightly, head tilting.

"No." He shook his head, lifting a hand to brush a strand of hair from her forehead and giving her a gentle smile. "Just some things you need to know."

* * *

"Margot says you've been hanging out a lot with this Fitz kid."

Olivia shook her head, pushing her pasta around her plate. She wasn't a fan of the cuisine. Hadn't been a fan since she was five and had gotten sick right after eating her mother's spaghetti. Vomiting noodles had a way of putting one off the food for life. Funny how Maya, even with her callous attitude toward her daughter and lack of desire to be a mother, could remember that Olivia hated any dish that involved pasta or noodles in any form. Eli on the other hand...There had come a point when Olivia had quit reminding him. It never seemed to stick.

"He's Zeke's age, dad. Not a kid." Reaching for her glass of water, Olivia took a long, healthy sip of her drink. Her half-eaten garlic breadstick lay to the side of her plate - she had managed to pick somewhat at that before her father had started asking questions about Fitz. Eli wasn't involved in her life - she believed he truly didn't care what she did, yet here he was playing the role of the questioning father. She didn't want to say concerned - he certainly was _not _concerned.

"Oh twenty or eighteen: you're all still children." Eli waved her statement aside, his attention squarely on the meal before him.

"How's your book coming along?" Changing the topic was something she had become proficient at over the years. There was nothing Eli liked to talk about more than himself - not even his own kids. It was her reality. A reality that she had come to accept.

"I've got a few things to tweak, but it's nearly finished. The ending is mindblowing, Olivia! A real masterpiece. They'll be talking about it for years. Put your mother's stuffy articles to shame." Eli's eyes shone and a bright smile covered his face. It would have been an infectious sort of excitement had Olivia not seen her father's excitement for what it was: selfishness. He had a baby and wife at home that he had tossed to the side for this book. For another chance at fame. It was frustrating.

"Sylvia's sleeping through the night now." The comment was intentional. Olivia _wanted _to study her father's reaction to news of his daughter. It was almost disappointing the way he waved his hand and continued speaking about his book. Sighing, Olivia pushed her plate away. She didn't have it in her to sit there and listen to Eli drone on. Digging into her back pocket, she pulled her wallet from her jeans. Unzipping the small wallet, she dug a ten out and tossed it onto the table. Her father was a notoriously terrible tipper.

"I've got to get to work, dad. I'll see you later."

She didn't wait for a response from her father. Pushing her chair back, she stood. After sliding the chair back under the table, Olivia took off down the aisle - bustling with waitresses and a few people here and there walking toward their seats. Shoving her way through the mess of people, Olivia was grateful when she stepped onto the sunny sidewalks outside. Squaring her shoulders and walking toward Hildegard's, she couldn't help but to think that speaking with her father was becoming a more arduous task than usual.

* * *

"Dude, you're telling her?" Zeke slurped on his milkshake, his loud exclamation drawing a few stares to their table. Wide-eyed and slack-jawed, he gave Fitz an almost apologetic shrug. Fitz sighed, eyes darting across the diner as he waited for all the other customers to return their gaze to their food. _He _knew how to be discreet. Zeke, apparently…

"She should know." Fitz shrugged, stomach still twisting at the thought of telling Olivia. It was a foreign feeling. He had long ago quashed any feelings of nervousness when he had public engagements and he had never had reason to feel nervous about his personal choices. As long as those choices couldn't embarrass the family - or reach the public if they could, no one would contradict him. No one would give their opinion. Olivia wasn't just some courtier following him around and blindly agreeing to whatever he chose, though.

"What if she tells?"

"Zeke, how long have you known Liv? She isn't going to tell anyone."

"Maybe not, but she'll freak out."

Fitz shrugged once more, twirling a fry around in some ketchup. Zeke was trying to play devil's advocate, Fitz was sure of that. His cousin wasn't going to change his mind, though. Olivia might freak out, as Zeke had put it, but Fitz believed she would eventually come around. Telling her and giving her time to adjust to the news was better, in his opinion, than the alternative. If he didn't tell her and she found out from someone else...Fitz wasn't sure, knowing what he knew about Olivia, that she would ever forgive him. And the plans he had? The future he saw for their relationship? He had to tell her.

"Did you?"

"Dude that's not even comparable. I've _always_ known. It was just an odd fact about our family, ya know? Great-uncle Marie ran off with her preacher and Fitz is the Prince of Wales and some earl."

"Earl of Chester."

"Hm?"

"My titles. Prince of Wales. Earl of Chester."

"Wasn't your dad a duke, too?"

"I can't hold that title."

"I thought they get passed…"

"Not that one. Only to the eldest son of the monarch and she's my grandmother."

"You know? I can't really picture Liv with a title."

"Hm?" Fitz tilted his head, reaching for his own milkshake. Wrapping his lips around the straw, he began drinking the smooth, chocolate shake.

"Dude, you're serious about her. I can see that. You two get married and she'll be a princess, right?"

"_If_ we were to get married, she could use Princess of Wales as her title, should she choose. It isn't forced upon her, though."

"It's crazy talking about this. I mean, Liv doesn't like being the centre of attention and I really don't think she'd _want_ a title."

"That's what will make her perfect for the job."

* * *

"It's always so pretty at night!" Olivia swirled in a circle, arms outstretched as a breeze blew across the park. Stars littered the sky, providing some light to aid the small sliver of the moon that was barely visible over the horizon. If Fitz squinted just hard enough, he could see the large, imposing concrete of the ramps in the distance.

"Always," Fitz agreed, his eyes glued to Olivia as she continued swirling, eventually falling to the soft, green grass.

Her eyes closed for a moment and her chest rose and fell in even, deep breaths as she took in her surroundings. The grass was soft, if not a little damp, beneath her back, the perfect bedding on this warm, summer night. The dampness of the grass was slowly soaking into the fabric of her shirt, cooling her skin just enough. From the distance, two short hoo's could be heard - quickly followed by one long hooting noise. It brought a smile to Olivia's face. She'd always loved owls.

"Join me." Olivia finally popped an eye open, turning her head to the side to look at Fitz. He was still standing above her, watching her carefully. Shaking his head, he lowered himself to the grass. She scooted close to him, placing her head on his chest. Bringing his hand up to her back, he began to rub smal circles through her shirt.

"What did you want to talk about?" She twisted her head, looking up at him with questioning eyes.

Fitz drew his bottom lip between his teeth, chewing thoughtfully. He hadn't considered how to say the words to her. Deciding to tell her was such a big step that he hadn't thought about the process. He supposed he could just rip the band-aid off. Just go ahead and hit her with the "I'm a prince" spiel. It seemed rather...tactless though.

"It's...important, Liv. A huge part of who I am."

She placed her arm across his chest, hand sinking into the wet grass, and pushed herself into a sitting position. Like this, she could stare into his eyes. The caring and calm he saw there was enough to calm his own racing heart. Taking a deep breath, he lifted his hand and wrapped it around her forearm, fingers moving against her skin there.

"What the -?"

Without warning, a large spotlight enveloped the park. White dots exploded in Fitz's vision, blinding him for a moment as his eyes struggled to adjust. Tree limbs blew hard to the side and the grass rippled like a wave as a loud, roaring noise descended upon them. Both Olivia and Fitz turned their attention to the sky. Narrowing his eyes, Fitz could just make out the outline of a helicopter. With a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach, Fitz pushed himself into a standing position and extended his hand toward Olivia.

"We should get out of here."

She placed her hand in his, allowing him to help her stand and together, they started toward the parking lot and her car. With Fitz's aversion to bikes, Olivia had suggested that she drive them to the park that evening. Now, Fitz was all too happy that he had agreed to that arrangement. Especially if what he thought was happening was actually happening.

"Fuck," Fitz whispered, his eyes catching the outlines of people milling about in the parking lot up ahead. Dressed in black, they were purposely trying to avoid detection. The outlines of cameras equipped with what he could only assume were large, powerful lenses nearly made him sick to his stomach. This wasn't how Olivia was supposed to find out.

"Liv, give me your keys." He held his hand out toward her, sighing with relief when she put up no fight. Dropping her keys into his hand, he closed his fingers around the heavy keychain. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her into his body and attempted to shield her from what he knew was coming next. "Livvie, no matter what: know I was trying to tell you first."

"What?" She wondered as he hit the unlock button on her car, the beeping sound echoing through the darkness. Practically jogging with her underneath his arm, he made it to the car as the first of the bright camera flashes went off. Frowning, Fitz grasped the handle of the car door and flung it open, helping Olivia into the car, but not before a reporter shouted:

"Your Highness: who is she?"

Rolling his eyes, Fitz slammed the door shut and began shouldering his way through the group of reporters. Rounding the car, he tried to ignore the shouts and the camera flashes. Pulling the driver's side door open, he frowned as another question was hurled his way.

"Prince Fitzgerald: why did you disappear?"

Shaking his head, Fitz slid into the seat and pulled the door shut behind him. Jamming the keys into the ignition, he was quick to start the car and back out of the parking spot. It wasn't until they had hit the highway, heading back toward town that Olivia spoke.

"What the _fuck _was that?"

* * *

**A/N - **And the secret is out! Not the way Fitz wanted to tell her, but Olivia now knows. How do you think Olivia is going to react? Especially to finding out this way? And who do you think tipped the paparazzi off?

There is a _lot _that happens in the next couple chapters. Especially as we're coming to an end of their lazy, beachtime summer - though certainly not the end of the story.

Until next time,

G.


	10. Surrounded

"Liv? Say something. Please." Fitz's hands rested on the cool, leather steering wheel. Head bowed, he kept stealing glances in her direction. The dark corner of the large, mostly empty supermarket parking lot offered all the cover they needed for the moment. Taking the back roads earlier, Fitz had managed to lose what few, black motorcycles were following them. It helped that they weren't familiar with this town. Made it easier to disappear.

_Buzz. Buzz. _

Fitz's attention was drawn to his phone, sitting upright in the cupholder. This was the third time in less than five minutes it had started to ring. The second time had prompted him to turn his ringer off. They didn't need outside interruptions. Not now.

"Are you going to answer that?" Olivia's voice was emotionless, causing Fitz's heart to drop. He would have preferred any other reaction. Screaming would have been better than this. Knowing her as well as he did, he knew that this display or rather _lack _of display of emotion was her way of protecting herself. To think that he had been the cause...Shaking his head, he slumped in the seat - finally letting go of the steering wheel. His head hit the headrest and a sigh racked his body.

Silence filled the car as the night grew darker. Fitz busied himself with staring at the sky and trying to find as many constellations as he could. She didn't ask to leave. Didn't ask him to take her home. He took that as a good sign. She must at least be thinking about what was happening. When his phone began buzzing once more, he groaned. Pulling the device from the cupholder, he ignored the call and shut his phone off. Tossing his phone into the back seat, he turned his attention to Olivia.

"Is that what you were trying to tell me?"

"I wanted you to hear it from me."

Olivia bit her lip, staring at her hands in her lap. Fitz watched as she picked at her cuticles. He could almost see the wheels turning in her head. Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth to begin speaking. It might make things worse, but at this point - he didn't care.

"Your mom -"

"I was -"

The two shared a brief chuckle as they fell quiet once more. Fitz raised a hand, gripping the steering wheel. He needed something to hold onto.

"Go ahead."

"Your mom was...so fucking beautiful and smart and everything I wanted to be as a little girl. I _hated _everything about being a girl, then. My mom would go on these tangents about how toxic feminity is and how it's used to keep women from suceeding. I bought into her "wear black and don't ever play with dolls" logic. And your mom...She walked that fine line between feminity and still being a badass intellect. I looked up to her. When your parents died, Fitz, I cried. I was eight - it's one of the first memories I can recall with clarity. My mom was...she was upfront about what had happened and I - It sucked losing the one person I looked up to. I mean...if this glamorous, smart, funny American could become a princess then I could do whatever I wanted, too."

Olivia took a deep breath, reaching across the console and taking Fitz's hand in hers. He allowed her to pry his fingers away from the steering wheel, his attention drawn to her hand on his. When he turned to lock his gaze with hers, she began speaking again:

"I rambled. I'm sorry."

"That's how I remember her, too." He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles, back and forth. Watching his thumb up and over each knuckle, across the small scar in the divot between the knuckles of her index and middle fingers - courtesy of a skateboarding accident she had said, he was memorised.

"Why didn't you tell me?" For the first time that night, her voice cracked as she spoke.

"Before tonight happened? Or -"

Olivia took a deep breath, pulling her hand from Fitz's. Shoving her hair from her face, she leaned her head against the seat. Her gaze shifted to the night sky outside the car.

"I understand why you wouldn't tell me when we first met. This is a big secret and if you told someone you didn't really know, there are about a million different ways things could have gone wrong. But after? When we started getting closer, Fitz...When I told you I wanted to take the next step. Why didn't you tell me then?"

Leaning his head back and groaning, Fitz brought a hand to his face. Slowly, he dragged his hand down his face ending with his fingers cupped around his chin.

"I wanted to. When I...when I started having feelings for you, I wanted to tell you. I was so bloody conflicted. My gran thought I should tell you. Aunt Camille suggested that I wait. I _wanted _you to know, Liv. But I was terrified. You are the first person I have ever been with who has seen me for...me."

"I would have hoped you'd know me better than that."

Fitz sighed - she was right. Looking back now, he knew that. Olivia's opinion of him wasn't going to change because of some stupid secret. She wasn't that kind of person. Fear had a way of blinding people, though, and it certainly had blinded him. A string of failed relationships had aided that fear. He'd only ever gone after the shallow ones - with the potential promise of a shiny price lured before them, they would do _anything_. Olivia...Olivia wasn't like that.

"I know, Liv. Everyone I've been with..._That _is all they care about. It's…"

"Hard to believe there's someone who wouldn't care?"

He turned his head, raising an eyebrow when she lifted her hand, grasping his and pulling it from his chin. She had the ghost of a smile on her face and, for the first time that night, Fitz allowed himself to hope.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

"I wish you would have told me before now." She held his hand in her lap, between her own hands.

"I wish I would have been brave enough to tell you before now."

"You're going to have to go home, aren't you?"

Fitz sighed. It was a thought he had been shoving to the back of his mind. He knew that his gran would request his return and, if he refused, order it. She would be right, too. As soon as those pictures hit the newsstands in the morning, it wouldn't be safe to be on the other side of the world without security. He didn't want to leave Olivia or his newfound friends, but for his safety, he would have to. And above all else, that terrified him. Especially knowing, as he did, that the press would now hound Olivia, too.

"Yeah."

As Olivia met his gaze, his heart hurt to see the water in her eyes - threatening to fall. He pulled his hand from between hers, bringing it up to cup her cheek. She turned her head, kissing the palm of his hand before speaking:

"I still get to see you, though, right?"

Smiling to himself, his fears melting away, Fitz chuckled.

"As long as you still _want _to see me, Liv, you'll still get to see me. I'll make certain of it."

* * *

"You two do realise it's like 1:00 A.M. right?" Quinn yawned, snuggling into Huck as the fire crackled, giving a warm glow to her face. Olivia had sent an S.O.S. out to their group chat after her conversation with Fitz. He wanted their friends to hear the news from him - before they saw the headlines in the morning. And so Olivia had decided to call them all to her house for a late night bonfire on the private beach.

"Like you were asleep." Hanna rolled her eyes, leaning back on her elbows.

"I think the car ride made her sleepy." Huck's comment was met with a pinch from Quinn.

"Children." Stephen shook his head.

"Some things never change...What did you want to talk about, Fitz?" David turned his attention to the couple sitting in the middle of their semi-circle around the fire. Olivia had brought a blanket from her house, throwing it over the sand and settling between Fitz's legs. Her hands were interlaced with his and her head rested against his chest. It was the most they had displayed any sort of affection in front of their friends.

"I haven't talked much about myself…" Fitz swallowed, tightening his fingers around Olivia's hand.

"Is this about the whole you're a prince thing?" Quinn tilted her head, a smirk on her face.

"What?"

"Don't look so surprised. I'm not stupid."

"He's a -" David's eyes widened.

"Is that true?" Stephen demanded.

"You knew and didn't tell us?" Huck asked.

"I knew because I actually paid attention in world history." Quinn rolled her eyes. "And I didn't say anything to anyone because it's Fitz's thing to tell. Not mine. He didn't want us to know then whatever. Doesn't really change who he is. As a person, I mean."

"Thanks, Quinn." Fitz smiled. "She's right, though, and that is what I was going to tell all of you. I just told Olivia tonight."

"And while he was trying to tell me, we were interrupted by photographers."

"What the hell?" Hanna had been silent until that point. Now, though, she was looking at Olivia with a glint in her eyes that didn't quite match her outraged words. Olivia shook it off - that was a topic to address some other time.

"I don't know how they found out where I am, but come tomorrow morning - everyone will know. I didn't want any of you to find out that way."

"So...does Zeke know?"

"Of course Zeke knows, you idiot! He's Fitz's cousin." Quinn rolled her eyes in Hanna's direction before turning her attention to Fitz. "He _is _your cousin, isn't he?"

"Yes, he's my cousin," Fitz laughed, "And yes, he knows."

"What are you guys going to do?" That question came from Stephen who had a genuine look of concern on his face.

"I'll have to go back. My gran won't want me staying here. Liv and I...we're going to figure something out."

"Damn. When you say 'gran', you're talking about…" Huck's eyes widened as Fitz nodded before he had to finish his question. Quinn's sudden burst of laughter caused all eyes to fall on her.

"What?" David wondered.

"I just realised that a few weeks ago when Olivia said fuck to Fitz's grandma…" Quinn had to pause as another fit of laughter hit her. "You said fuck to the queen."

"Thanks, _genius_." Olivia rolled her eyes, joining in on Quinn's laughter. She was still terrified of what Fitz's gran thought of her, but it _was_ a funny memory.

"You didn't!"

Olivia shrugged in Stephen's direction. "Unfortunately. I didn't know it was her."

"And she's been forgiven, so we can move on."

The friends sat around the fire, talking until early in the morning. At some point, the group had fallen asleep. It wasn't until the first rays of sunlight were peaking across the ocean and the last embers of the fire were slowly burning out, that David woke everyone. They all took their time to tell Fitz goodbye - they weren't sure if they would see him before he had to leave although he promised that they would, and all, but Hanna gave words of advice and encouragement.

After they left, Olivia and Fitz quietly entered her home and snuck up to her bedroom. She had a feeling that Margot already knew Fitz had stayed the night. One look out the patio doors and she would have known that the whole group had stayed the night - and probably thought that it was just a typical Friday night. How Olivia wished that were true as she turned the doorknob to her room, motioning Fitz through before entering herself and quietly shutting the door.

She kicked her shoes off by her door before moving her hands to the button of her jean shorts. Pulling them down her legs, she stepped out of them and kicked them to the side. Her shirt followed after until she stood before Fitz in nothing but her red, lacy lingerie. Locking eyes with him, she pulled her hair from its ponytail. It was a curly, puffy mess, but she didn't care. She would take bets, too, that Fitz didn't care either. Besides, his eyes were anywhere _but _her hair.

"I thought we were going back to sleep?" Fitz whispered, his voice hoarse. Olivia nodded - they hadn't slept much and when they were making their way to her room, they had _said _that they were going back to sleep. She'd planned on that, too, until she had seen the way he was looking at her as she undressed. If she had the energy, she would have pushed him to do something _other _than just staring at her.

"This is how I sleep." She yawned, then, and brought a hand to her eyes - using her thumb and index fingers to rub at her tired orbs. Fitz nodded, his hands going to the belt of his khaki shorts. In a few short minutes, he stood before Olivia in his black and red checkered boxers. As Olivia's eyes travelled up and down his body, he began sleeping.

"Come on. We'll continue whatever this is after we have some sleep."

That kernel of hope from him put a smile on her face and she held her hand toward him. He grasped her hand in his and led her toward the soft, waiting bed that seemed to have their names written all over it. Falling into the mattress, the two wrapped themselves around one another under her warm, fuzzy blanket and quickly drifted to sleep.

* * *

"Is she still crying?" Olivia yawned, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Margot turned her head, giving Olivia an apologetic look as she shouldered her cellphone and continued patting Sylvia's back. The poor baby was having none of her mother's soothing techniques. Yawning once more, Olivia tightened her bathrobe and reached for her sister.

"Shhh. It's okay, Vi." Olivia placed the baby on her hip, running her hand through the soft, wispy hair atop the six-month old's head. She wasn't warm and, after a quick check, Olivia could confirm that she didn't need a diaper change, either. Glancing around, Olivia's eyes landed on the bottle on the counter - powdery baby formula resting in the bottom. Shaking her head, she tried to ignore Margot's conversation as she grabbed the bottle. It sounded like her stepmother was talking to her father and it didn't sound like a pleasant chat. So, naturally, Margot had forgotten in the midst of making Sylvia's bottle that she even _was_ making a bottle.

"I've seen them.

She's just now waking up.

Well, I'm not you.

Maybe if you paid attention to your children -

That _was_ fair, Eli.

I'm not talking about this with you.

Goodbye, Eli."

As Margot ended the call, Olivia was shaking Sylvia's bottle in her hand - her finger covering the small hole in the nipple. She allowed Margot to take Sylvia from her hip and handed over the bottle when she stretched her hand out. Sylvia's cries faded away when Margot sat at the table, cradling the baby in her lap and holding the bottle to her mouth.

"I'm sorry, Vi." Margot whispered to the baby who was all too happy to finally have food.

The side of Olivia's mouth curled upward at her stepmother's usage of the nickname she had bestowed on her little sister. It was becoming a fairly regular occurrence. Turning around, Olivia grabbed a coffee mug from the cabinet. Popping a coffee pod into the Keurig, Olivia placed her mug under the machine.

"Thank you, Liv."

Olivia bowed her head. So it was one of those mornings...err afternoons. It always made her uncomfortable when Margot allowed her emotions to get the best of her. It didn't happen very often, but when it did happen, Olivia tried to avoid the moment. It was always when Margot was at her wit's end - typically after a fight with Olivia's father, and felt like she was failing them. Fortunately for Olivia, Margot didn't spend any time dwelling on her emotions.

"Is Fitz still asleep?"

Olivia's hand slid on the counter and her eyes widened. Margot's question had caught her completely off guard. Turning her back to the coffee machine, she questioned:

"How did you know?"

"I'm not blind," Margot chuckled, "And despite what your mom wants to think, I'm not dumb either."

"I've never said you were stupid."

"I know, dear. That was unfair of me."

"It was the truth. Maya thinks she's better than everyone and she definitely thinks she's smarter." Olivia shrugged, turning just long enough to wrap her hands around her mug and pull it from underneath the Keurig. "And Fitz was still asleep when I came down here."

"How are you?"

Olivia sighed, taking a small sip of her coffee, and pulled a chair out from the table. Sitting heavily, she placed her cup of coffee on the wooden surface.

"You know what happened?"

"I saw the headlines. And your father called."

Olivia inhaled sharply, rolling her eyes in the process. Of course Eli would call about this.

"Trying to figure out how to use _that _to push his book?"

"You know your father well. I didn't give him anything, Liv. I told him you knew before those photos were taken and that it's your personal business."

Olivia nodded, grateful as always that Margot was in her corner. The woman was becoming a great barrier between Olivia and her _actual_ parents. The ones who should have been sitting in the kitchen with her, giving any advice she needed and being a listening ear. She'd be lying if she said she had ever thought that would happen.

"I didn't actually know before those photos. He was trying to tell me and they...came from nowhere. Interrupted his plans."

"That must have been awful."

"It was. All those photographers and flashing lights. Shouting at us. I was a little shell shocked when they called Fitz 'Your Highness'. We ditched them, though, and he explained it to me. I _wanted _to be pissed at him, but he had a good reason for not telling me until now. He was...afraid."

"Afraid? Fitz doesn't seem like the type who scares easily."

"Everyone uses him. All the relationships he's been in have been about using him." Olivia shrugged, sipping at her coffee.

"Poor guy," Margot sighed, sitting the now empty baby bottle on the table. Turning Sylvia around, she laid her against her shoulder and began rubbing her back.

"This is stressing him out, though. He didn't want to go home before the end of summer. His phone's been going crazy, too." Olivia pulled the phone with its thick, black case from the pocket of her bathrobe and held it up for Margot to see. "It's actually what woke me up and after the night we both had, I didn't want it to wake him."

"What are you two going to do?"

"We don't know yet." Liv slipped the phone back into her pocket before wrapping her hands around the mug, rubbing her thumb across the ceramic. "We're going to figure it out, though. I don't exactly want a whole bunch of people following me around, either."

"I think that's going to happen regardless of what you want, dear. If you stay with him, they're all going to be clamouring to get to know you - and they won't all be nice about it."

"I know. We talked about that. Fitz has plans. He said they probably won't be foolproof, but we'll try. We - we want to do this."

"You don't have to convince me, Liv. You're an adult. Your choice. Just...don't let your dad or mom tell you otherwise."

"When have I let them tell me otherwise?"

"Fair enough."

Noise from behind them drew their attention to the doorway. Fitz shuffled into the kitchen, his khaki shorts hanging low on his hips. Olivia smirked behind her coffee mug - either he wasn't feeling a belt and shirt this morning or he couldn't find them. Judging from his disheveled hair and sleep-filled eyes, she was willing to bet that he had been too tired to bother looking for them.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"You didn't interrupt." Margot stood from her seat, carrying Sylvia to the bassinet that stood in the corner. Laying the now sleeping baby in the bassinet, she turned around and placed her hands on her hips. "I'll make you a cup of coffee."

"Tea." Olivia corrected.

"Tea it is then." Margot smiled and, as Olivia winked at Fitz, she couldn't help but to think that maybe, just maybe, everything would work out.

* * *

_**A/N - **_Well, Fitz and Olivia had their talk. He told their friends and Margot is supportive. She seems a little upset at Eli, though. Hmm. Any ideas?

Until next time,

G. xx


	11. Goodbyes Hurt

"I'm taking Sylvia for a walk."

"Okay." Olivia didn't bother to move her head from its place on Fitz's chest. The two had been reclining on the sofa, just talking, since earlier that morning. They had only moved for lunch and dinner. All media outlets had been avoided. Their phones lay on the coffee table, untouched, and some show played on the television courtesy of Netflix.

"I need to call my gran," Fitz stated as the echoing sound of the door closing behind Margot filled the family room. Still, he made no effort to move, continuing to stroke Olivia's back with his eyes half-closed.

"Call her." Olivia yawned, struggling to sit up as the large, overstuffed pillows of the sofa didn't offer much aid. "I'll text Zeke. Let him know you're with me."

Fitz nodded, digging his elbows into the cushions and pushing himself into a sitting position beside Olivia. Zeke had sent both of them countless texts since the news had broke that morning. Even Fitz's aunt Camille had tried calling. Eventually, she had called Margot who had confirmed that Fitz was with Olivia and safe.

"He probably already knows." Fitz pointed out the obvious.

"Yeah, but I think he'd rather hear it from one of us than your aunt."

Fitz shrugged, his eyes focused on his phone. Olivia sighed. She could tell he was struggling with the idea of calling his grandmother. Olivia didn't want him to call her anymore than Fitz wanted to, but she knew she couldn't be that selfish. Even before she had learned just who his grandmother was, she could tell they had a close relationship. The woman was probably worried out of her mind.

"Call her." Olivia reached for his phone, picking it off the table and forcing it into his hand. He sighed once more, unlocking his phone and leaning back against the cushions.

"Stay?"

She nodded, leaning her head against his shoulder as he opened his contacts. Mouth falling open, she sat up to look at him with wide eyes when he hit the FaceTime button by his grandmother's name. She didn't even know that the woman knew _how _to FaceTime and she definitely wasn't dressed for this impromptu chat. Not in a pair of shorts and Fitz's shirt from the night before.

"It's okay, Livvie." Fitz held the phone at just the right angle so that both their faces were visible from the neck up. Olivia groaned - her hair was a mess and she had large bags under her eyes that made it look like she hadn't slept in days. She certainly looked like she hadn't _showered _in days.

"Fitzgerald!" His grandmother's worried voice emanated from the phone's speaker as her image flickered across the screen. Olivia's mouth went dry. Suddenly, she was face to face with a woman she had only ever seen staring back at her from magazine covers and, occasionally, news broadcasts.

"I'm fine, gran." Fitz was smiling. It wasn't a genuine one, Olivia knew, but she could appreciate the way he was trying to put his grandmother at ease. "I needed some time."

"We've been looking for you, Fitzgerald. I rang your aunt and she hadn't a clue where you have been." Her voice was stern, but it did little to hide the relief Olivia saw flooding the older woman's blue eyes.

"I'm sorry," Fitz mumbled, "Olivia and I…"

At once, the queen's gaze was on Olivia - eyes widening ever so slightly and nose flaring as she took in the sight of the woman beside her grandson. Olivia could feel her cheeks burning - she looked awful and, if she had to bet, being cuddled up to Fitz on the sofa wasn't the greatest image to send out for a first greeting. Not the best way to make a first impression. But then the queen's expression softened and Olivia was left baffled as she asked:

"How are you holding up, dear?"

"I'm - I -" Olivia couldn't form her words. Try as she might, that task was alluding her.

"We haven't seen any headlines," Fitz answered for her.

"You must come home, Fitzgerald."

Fitz nodded and a silence filled the room for a moment before his grandmother added:

"We need to talk."

Slowly, Olivia disentangled herself from Fitz. His grandmother's tone had been clear - she wanted time alone with her grandson. Standing from the sofa, Olivia nodded and responded with a "goodbye" at the queen's own bidding before leaving the room. Trudging out of the room, she sat down at the table in the kitchen. Her eyes travelled, unbidden, to Margot's phone. She rarely took it with her when she was walking Sylvia. The phone called to her - tempting her to search for the photos that she knew were out there. Photos of her with Fitz.

"Where's Fitz?"

Reluctantly, Olivia tore her gaze from the phone on the table. Margot stood in the doorway, yawning, and baby-free.

"The family room. Talking with his grandma."

"Poor guy." Margot pulled a chair out, sitting beside Olivia.

"She's nice." Olivia tilted her head, thinking back on the few words she had shared with Fitz's grandma. She had seemed genuinely concerned when she had asked how Olivia was doing.

"Yikes. Meeting the grandparents already?" Margot's eyes twinkled, her voice light, as she patted Olivia's hand.

"I just hope everything works out."

"It will, Olivia. That boy is crazy about you. I have a feeling he will _make _it work."

* * *

"She seems a tad shaken."

"She's still...adjusting." Fitz sighed, turning his head in the hopes of catching even the smallest glimpse of Olivia. It was impossible from where he was sitting, though.

"You are absolutely certain that she is the one?"

Tilting his head, attention now focused on the small phone screen that held his grandmother's scrutinising gaze, Fitz frowned.

"Of course I'm -" He was prepared to launch into any and every defence of Olivia's character that he thought necessary. So sure was he that, now that his grandmother had actually _seen _Olivia she would object to their relationship, his whole body was on edge in its preparation for a fight. A fight that never came.

"Then we need to start preparing her for this life. She needs to know what she is getting into and we need to do our best to make her feel safe. Starting with releasing a statement."

"A statement?" Fitz questioned. His family tended to avoid making statements. Those were reserved for tragedies and special announcements. Under any other circumstances, they remained silent.

"Your personal life is off-limits. Miss Pope is _off-limits_."

"I've not told you her last name."

"I have done some research of my own." She winked at him and he found himself smiling despite it all. "You will have to return to London."

"I know."

"Tonight."

"Tonight?" He could feel his stomach knotting at the suggestion. It was too soon. He didn't want to leave Olivia. Couldn't face the thought of leaving Olivia.

"I'm sorry, Fitzgerald."

"The morning. Please." It was all he could choke out without crying. Not used to being the emotional type, he was almost as embarrassed as he was sad. He shouldn't be on the verge of tears.

"Tom and Cyrus will stand guard. Their flight should arrive any moment. I will let them know the change of plans. Fitzgerald, you had better be on that plane in the morning."

"I will. I promise."

* * *

"Do you really have to go tomorrow?" Olivia whispered in the dark, her head resting against Fitz's chest. They had slowly made their way to Olivia's room after dinner. Margot had taken Sylvia to her girls' night at a friend's - leaving the two to say their goodbyes.

"I can't refuse." Fitz sighed, his hand on her back. "We'll see each other again, Liv."

"I know."

They laid in silence for a few minutes longer. Olivia chewed nervously on her bottom lip. She _hated _goodbyes.

"I was thinking…" Fitz's voice broke the silence.

"You want to?" Olivia placed her hand on his chest, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"If you want to, Liv."

"Yes."

Heart beating wildly, Olivia rolled onto her back. The mattress was soft underneath, giving way to her weight and molding to her body. Laying her head on the fluffy pillow at the head of her bed, her eyes followed the outline of Fitz's body as he rolled onto his side. A moment later, he had flipped the switch to the light on her nightstand. A soft, fluorescent glow fell over the bed.

"I'm going to miss you." Fitz's voice cracked as he placed his lips atop hers, teasing her with quick, close-mouthed pecks.

"I hate this. I hate them." Olivia found herself bunching the sheets in her hands and wrapping a leg around Fitz's.

"We'll speak every day," he promised, kissing the corner of her mouth, across her cheek, and to her ear. A shudder went down her spine at the feel of his tongue tracing her ear, leaving behind a wet trail before he pulled the bottom of her lobe between his teeth.

"And visit?" She worked her hands under his shirt, running them up his muscular back, as her thighs involuntarily attempted to squeeze together - the action thwarted by Fitz's body between her legs. The dull, growing ache between her legs wasn't unfamiliar, but her stomach twisted with the anticipation and knowledge that tonight there would be more to that feeling.

"As much as I can." His hands were now at the bottom of her shirt. Of _his _shirt. Releasing her ear, he raised his head to look into her eyes. "Is this okay?"

"Yes," she agreed, nodding her head vigorously. Biting her lip, she lifted her head just a bit and raised her arms to help as he pulled the shirt up and off. She didn't bother to watch the shirt flutter to the floor. Instead, her gaze was focused on Fitz. She hadn't been wearing a bra and now she laid before him, chest bare.

"Beautiful," he whispered, pressing his lips against hers as his hands trailed up her sides and gently cupped her breasts. She inhaled sharply at the feel of his large hands holding her soft flesh. Pulling her mouth from his, she tilted her head back and closed her eyes when he circled her nipples with his thumbs - moving closer and closer to her nipples with each pass. Gasping, her hands found their way into Fitz's hair when he bent his head, holding her breast up as he wrapped his lips around her nipple. Raising her hips, she rubbed against him - another gasp escaping at the long, hard feel of him through his shorts. He took his time, lathering her chest with wet kisses and plenty of attention before trailing down her stomach, leaving kisses as he went. When he reached the waistband of her shorts, she helped him pull them from her body before laying back against the pillows, legs falling further apart.

"It's going to hurt, Liv."

"I know."

Settling between her legs, he kissed his way up her thighs and to her centre. Using his fingers to hold her open before him, he dived in. It didn't take much before she was writhing beneath him, her fingers digging into his shoulders and moans falling from her lips.

"Fitz," she groaned when she came and he continued his ministrations, her legs shaking.

Slowly, Fitz pulled away and stood from the bed. He undressed quickly, fishing around in his wallet for a moment before producing a condom. She struggled to sit, her breathing still fast and uneven.

"Can I?" she asked, holding a hand out for the foil package in his hand before he had a chance to open it. Nodding, he dropped the square package in her hand. Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth and wrapping her hand around the condom, she moved her free hand to Fitz's dick.

"Liv?" he questioned as she held him in her hands, observing him. Slowly, she moved her hand from tip to base. This was her first time observing a male in something other than an anatomy textbook. She was impressed to say the least.

"I've never…"

"I know, baby, but I don't think I can -"

"Oh." She could feel her cheeks reddening as she took her hand away and struggled to open the foil packet she held. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." He helped her roll the condom over his dick before pushing her back onto the mattress and covering her body with his.

"Are you still sure?"

She smiled to herself, grateful that he seemed so concerned with what she wanted. And she nodded. She knew this was what she wanted.

"It'll only hurt for a few minutes," he whispered, guiding himself to her entrance. She bit her lip at the small amount of pressure she felt at first. He covered her mouth with his as slowly, he inched forward. With each movement, the pressure between her legs built until finally he stopped.

"This is going to hurt," he warned before pushing forward. She inhaled sharply at the intense pressure that spread through her abdomen. They laid there, neither moving, as the pain between her legs slowly began to ease.

"Good?" Fitz asked minutes later.

"Good."

After, Olivia rested with her head on Fitz's chest. She was tender and every movement caused an uncomfortable ache between her legs. But it was worth it. That she was sure about.

"I don't want tomorrow to come."

"Me either," Fitz sighed, rubbing her hip. "But we can do this."

"Don't forget about me when there's an ocean between us."

"I don't think I could ever forget about _you_."

* * *

**A/N - **Well, they've done the deed and Fitz's gran seems to be onboard with their relationship. They've gotten to spend the day wrapped up in each other and avoiding the outside world, but all of that will come crashing in before long.

Until next time,

Gabi


	12. Here Without You

"...Today, the Prince of Wales is visiting Royal London Hospital to commemorate the opening of a new cardiac wing. All this on the heels of the Royal Family issuing an unprecedented warning to the British press."

Olivia crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at the news report crossing the television screen in the workshop. Her personal life had been plastered across every news station and magazine for the past week. She could hardly step outside without having to dodge photographers and so she had taken to spending most of her time indoors. It sucked. She had been counting the hours since she'd last been on a bike. Even Fitz's statement hadn't helped to the extent he thought it would. They were on a different continent. The paparazzi didn't play by the same rules.

"Surprisingly, despite the warning, Prince Fitzgerald did take some time to answer questions about his rumoured girlfriend. Olivia Pope is the daughter of American author Eli Pope and Maya Lewis."

Olivia turned her attention back to the television, tilting her head. A warm feeling spread across her chest accompanied by a hint of melancholy as Fitz's image filled the screen. He looked good - amazing even. The tailored dark-blue, pinstripe suit he wore fit him well, but she found herself longing for the khaki shorts and shirts he prefered when he was with her. He looked so buttoned-up. So serious. It was a side of him that she hadn't seen before.

He was squinting as some lady in the crowd shouted a question at him. She couldn't quite make out what had been said, but his response left her standing in the middle of the hot, dusty workshop with a grin on her face.

"She's good. I - I think she is, too."

The camera switched to a grinning little girl, her front teeth missing. Her brown eyes sparkled as she pulled at Fitz's suit jacket and Olivia giggled at the sight of the woman beside the little girl trying to pull her hands away - scolding her. Fitz waved the woman off, squatting so he was closer to the girl's height. A smile spread across Olivia's face when the girl introduced herself.

"I'm Olivia."

"Really? Can I let you in on a secret?"

Little Olivia nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

"That's my favourite name," Fitz winked.

"You two still talk?"

Olivia tore her gaze from the sweet moment on the television screen, hitting the red power button on the remote in her hand. Laying the remote on the metal toolbox under the tv, she turned her attention to David.

"Every night."

"Are things getting better?" He was chewing on his bottom lip, eyes squinted as he was turning a bolt on the frame he was working on. Olivia tilted her head, studying the silver frame. David was planning on painting it a sky blue when he was finished.

"With Fitz? Everything's great. Other than him being a whole continent away."

"I meant with the paparazzi."

Olivia shrugged, gaze still focused on the bike. "They follow me everywhere. I bet there's pictures of us tomorrow and some stupid rumour that I'm cheating. It's like being in a cage."

"Do you regret it?" He pulled the wrench away, laying it on the table before swiping at his brow. Rolling his shoulders, David laid his hands on the workbench and turned his attention fully to Olivia.

"Fuck no. I hate that we're not together, but I can handle the paparazzi for him."

"What are you planning on doing then?"

"Huh?" She crossed the open space between them, stopping at Huck's bench and pulling his stool out. Perching on the metal stool, she gripped the sides to help balance herself.

"You going to move there?"

"I don't know, David." She picked at a loose string on her jeans, eyeing her nails. They were long - she never had been much of a nail biter, and in perfect shape. She'd been blessed with great nails, but looking at them now...they seemed boring. "I thought about applying to universities over there, but...I don't think I'd be accepted."

"Why not?"

"Their entry requirements are all...pretty intense." Olivia shrugged, lifting her gaze to meet David's. He was shaking his head, rolling his eyes at her response.

"Who cares how tough their requirements are? You're Olivia Pope. Valedictorian. Certified genius. Any school there would accept you. They'd be crazy not to."

Shaking her head and lowering her head, looking down at the stained concrete floor. A smile played across her face and a renewed sense of determination flowed through her veins.

* * *

Yawning, Fitz laid his head against the back of the seat he was reclining on in the black Rolls Royce. Slowly, they were creeping through the crowded, lit streets of London. A light drizzle beat against the windows, darkening the already dark sky.

"I hate these things."

"It's just a dinner party," Cyrus mumbled from his seat beside Fitz.

Fitz shook his head, watching the passing scenery. It all seemed so dull now. So cagey after the freedom he had experienced with Olivia.

"So long as it is over by ten."

"Can't miss a call with your lady love, eh?"

Tearing his gaze from the window, Fitz trained his gaze on Cyrus. A frown tugged at his lips and his blue eyes blazed.

"You do not know her, Cyrus. You may keep your ill-begot opinions to yourself."

"I didn't -"

"It was in your tone and your words." Moving his hands to the lapel of his suit jacket, Fitz straightened the black strips of fabric before moving to the black bowtie around his neck. After straightening the perfect bow, courtesy of Tom earlier, he dropped his hands back to his lap.

"I -"

"You are still holding out hope that I will make up with Mellie. You have placed every bet on her becoming my wife - becoming my consort. Despite your planning; however, you have forgotten one important piece."

"And that is?" For his part, Cyrus looked uncomfortable. His round face was red and he was swallowing excessively. The frown lines around his lips seemed etched deeper in his face.

"I love Olivia. Mellie has been trained to play her part and she will make some rich man a happy trophy wife. She's not princess material. She bloody hell isn't queen material. Olivia is."

The rest of the ride continued in silence. Cyrus stared out his window, the red in his cheeks never quite going away. Fitz focused on composing himself so that by the time the car pulled up outside the Marquis's estate, he looked almost pleased to be there. That was until he stepped out of the car.

"Fitz!"

Cringing, Fitz turned his attention to the brunette woman struggling down the slick, stone steps of the old estate. She wore ridiculously high black heels and a forest green dress with a full skirt and a top that pushed her breasts up enough to almost be concerned obscene. Turning his head toward Cyrus, Fitz muttered under his breath.

"Resignation on my desk in the morning. Retirement due to age."

* * *

"What are you doing up so late?" Margot yawned as she entered the kitchen, stumbling toward the coffee machine.

"I could ask you the same question," Olivia mumbled, blowing a strand of hair from her face. She didn't move her attention from the computer screen in front of her. A pale, blue light washed over her face and her hands moved furiously as she hit the keys on the keyboard.

"Fair enough."

The kitchen was silent save for the sound of Olivia's typing and Margot's coffee dripping into her mug. It wasn't until she had loudly sat a mug in front of Olivia, cleared away the empty one, and sat across from her with a mug of her own that Olivia finally stopped.

"I'm working on an admissions essay. I…"

"You're not going to Stanford."

"I'd rather go to a university in the U.K."

"I was expecting that." Margot smiled, sipping her coffee.

"You were?" Olivia tilted her head, confused.

"Of course I was. Long distance sucks. You love him and he loves you. Eventually, it will be your home anyway and something tells me that it would be easier for him to protect you if you were there."

"Protect me?"

"The paparazzi haven't stopped."

"No. Not here."

"But they have there."

Olivia nodded, minimizing the Word document on her laptop before opening Safari.

"They haven't ran any articles about me since he released that statement."

Margot nodded, drinking her coffee as Olivia frowned at her laptop. Eyes moving across the screen, she quickly skimmed the article that had popped up when she opened her browser.

"Dad is saying that he met Fitz? He's offering a tell-all?"

"Olivia," Margot sighed, setting her mug on the table and reaching across to place her hand atop Olivia's.

"What?"

Swallowing, Margot licked her lips before continuing, "I was hoping he would tell you."

"Tell me what?"

"He's the one who tipped off the press."

* * *

"Why are you following me?" Fitz nodded in the direction of one of his friends, shrugging his shoulders when his friend held up both his hands - a questioning look on his face. The room was too hot, too stuffy. Dinner had been...decent. Now that they were all gathered around sharing glasses of whisky and wine, he was more than ready to go home. He'd rather spend the night in bed with Olivia on the phone.

"Why wouldn't I?" Mellie giggled - a fake, too-loud and drawing too much attention, giggle. "We don't want anyone to think that those _affair _rumours in the tabloids were true."

"You can't have an affair when you aren't in a relationship, Mellie. At least not with you."

"We were...we _are_ in a relationship, Fitz. We spent an entire weekend together before the summer holidays."

"We were fuck-buddies. We did not have a relationship. Do you know how I know that, Mellie?" Fitz tilted his head. To anyone looking in on the conversation, his jubilant smile would make it seem as if he were sharing an inside joke or warm conversation with a close friend. "I am in a relationship now and it is _nothing _like it was with you. She has class."

Spinning on his foot, Fitz walked away to find the host for the evening. After giving his apologies and making a hasty excuse, he was following Tom and Cyrus to the waiting car at the bottom of the staircase. Inside the warm car, Fitz pulled his cellphone from his pocket and searched through his contacts until he found Olivia's name.

"Hello?"

He frowned when she answered. Her voice was hoarse. She sounded like she was in the midst of crying.

"Livvie? Is everything okay?"

"No." A sob fell across the line and Fitz's heart constricted. It was like someone was squeezing it in two.

"What's wrong, baby?"

"My dad told the press about you. About us."

"About us?"

"That night at the park. They only knew we were there, that you were there, because my dad had figured it out. He figured out who you were and he sold us. He sold us to _them_."

"Oh, Livvie…"

* * *

**A/N - **Well, Mellie has been introduced. Fitz isn't Cyrus's biggest fan. Olivia knows who outed them, now and David is lending a listening ear to his friend as she traverses this new, long-distance and very public relationship. Things are really going to start picking up now.

Until next time,

Gabi


	13. Landing in London

"Wow," Olivia breathed, face plastered against the glass of the black taxi cab's window. Bright, vibrant sunlight bathed the streets and sidewalks they were passing. People were rushing down those sidewalks - some dressed in business suits, some wearing touristy clothing, and others dressed more casually. It was all so beautiful. So damn _crowded_.

"Takes yor breaff oray, don't she?" The cabbie spared a quick glance behind him before returning his attention to the road. Olivia nodded absentmindedly. It hadn't taken her long after she had hailed the cab at the airport to get used to the man's accent. There were still a few words here and there that she didn't understand, but he got his point across just fine.

"She does." Olivia found herself agreeing. London was breathtaking. Her eyes slid over the buildings - tall skyscrapers that blocked the sun from view before it reappeared over some smaller buildings. It was an interesting combination of modern and old.

"This yor first time?"

"Yeah."

"Where did yer say yer were gahn, isit?"

Olivia tapped her nose at his question. She hadn't said where she was going. Didn't have the first clue where to go. The whole trip had been a spur of the moment and she had no plans. Not her brightest move. Margot and David had encouraged it, though. Margot had even volunteered to take the heat from her dad when he found out that she had skipped town.

"I didn't." She glanced at the phone in her hands. The minute she had turned the device on she had gotten a notification that she was now internationally roaming. She wanted to call Fitz, but she didn't know how well that would work. Would a call still go through?

"There's a boozer up a'head. Bit 'o a classier place."

Olivia bit her lip, considering her options. She had a small carry-on with her, packing hadn't been at the top of her list and she was expecting to stay long. Just long enough to think through her feelings toward her father at the moment. Sighing, she nodded her head. At least it was a start.

"Here yer are." It really had only taken a few minutes to reach their destination.

Olivia's gaze travelled out the window when the cabbie pulled to a stop at the curb. It was one of the older buildings in the city - sticking out like a sore thumb amongst the metal and glass modern skyrises just around the block. The green sides of the pub stood out amongst the rest of the building - a whitish/grey shade that Olivia could imagine brightening the square on one of London's notoriously grey days.

Opening the door, she slid out of the cab and reached back into the seat to grab her red carry-on. Slinging the bag over her shoulder, she walked around to the driver's side and handed over a few £20 notes. Running around the cab, she stepped onto the sidewalk and wiggled her fingers in the cabbie's direction as he pulled away. Squaring her shoulders, she pushed the door to the pub open and stepped into the building - grateful for the slightly cooler atmosphere.

Waltzing up to the wooden counter, she was quick to gain the bartender's attention. The short-haired blonde, covered in tattoos looked a little rough around the edges, but when she smiled Olivia knew that was just a front - a way of keeping all the rowdy customers in line.

"Waat can oi git yer?" Everything about the way she spoke screamed Irish and it made Olivia smile. As much as she had come to love Fitz's accent, this one was soothing and calm. For the first time since she had made the whirlwind decision to board a plane to the U.K., Olivia felt all the stress and hesitation melt away.

"Um. Yeah." Olivia tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, chewing on her lip for a moment. "Is there a phone around here that I could use?"

"Yer jist arrive?" There was that friendly smile and a kind sparkle in the bartenders green eyes. Another wave of calm settled over Olivia and she finally allowed her shoulders to relax.

"That obvious?" Olivia laughed.

"Juicy damn obvious. O'im Cait."

"Olivia." Olivia reached across the bar, shaking the older woman's hand.

"Oi nu who yer are."

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Olivia resumed chewing her lip, brow furrowing. She knew her photo had been splashed across plenty of pages, but she wasn't expecting someone to recognise her. She wasn't that important.

"Ah. Oi don't tink anyone else knows who yer are. Loverboy's in 'ere lashings wi' 'is guard paddy."

"You know —"

"'Is 'ighness? 'E's a regular. Talks about yer lashings. De states changed 'imself."

Try as she might, Olivia couldn't hide the smile that crossed her face. She had been worried when he'd first boarded that plane back to London. Worried that he would forget about her. Worried that he would find someone in London - someone more suited to his life than her. It had taken all of her willpower and logic to keep the fears at bay. To remind herself that Fitz wasn't like that.

"He changed me, too," Olivia admitted.

"'E's 'appy at last, I'll gie yer dat. Come raun de counter. Thar's a dag an' bone back 'ere."

Olivia nodded, grateful, and slipped through the half-door that shut the space behind the counter off from the rest of the bar. She ducked into the room Cait pointed toward, thanking her profusely as she did so. Inside the small, dimly lit room, Olivia allowed her carry-on to slip to the green and white tiled floor. A phone sat on a small, formica table. Sitting in the chair before it, she took a deep breath and pulled her phone from her pocket. With shaky fingers, she pulled Fitz's number up on her phone before dialling it in the phone.

"Hello?" The voice that came across the line was confused, but definitely was _not _Fitz's.

"Um...hi. I think I may have the wrong number," Olivia was preparing herself to apologise, heart beating in her chest at the thought that Fitz may have changed his number and not told her. "Is Fitz —"

"Who is this?"

"Olivia."

There was a muffled exchange on the other end of the phone before Fitz's voice came across the line.

"Olivia! Whose number are you calling from?"

"I'm at a pub —"

"Here? In London?"

She smiled at the excitement in Fitz's voice. He sounded like a child in a candy store. Like he'd just unwrapped the one Christmas present he for which he had been begging.

"Yes."

"Where? What pub?"

"I don't remember the name," Olivia frowned. That probably wasn't smart, but all she had been thinking about was calling him. "But you've been here? The bartender, Cait, she says she knows you. That you're a regular."

"Yeah I am," he chuckled, "Cait's one of my mates. Stay there?"

"I don't really have anywhere else to go. I didn't exactly plan this trip."

"I'll be there as soon as I can escape."

"Escape? Sounds dangerous."

"Dangerous? No. Boring? Yes. I'll have my secretary rearrange my schedule."

"Oh don't change your plans on my account."

"Don't try to stop me." She could almost imagine him sticking his tongue out as he said those words. "I'll see you soon."

"Okay."

"And Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

She stood there, mouth hanging open, as a dial tone played through the phone. They had never said those words to each other before. Slowly hanging the phone back on the receiver, she smiled - chuckling softly to herself. Some people would have been scared in that moment - maybe even a little hesitant. But to Olivia, it just felt _right_.

* * *

"Gran', so we're closin' early! Everyone oyt!" Cait's voice rang through the bar a few hours later. It was barely seven and more than a few grumbles were heard throughout the pub. Olivia watched as the patrons began filling out the door. A few called back to the Irishwoman - asking if she was reopening later that night. She made some excuse about a water leak or something before shutting down those questions and locking the door behind the last of the customers to leave.

"Joys av bein' de owner." Cait winked at Olivia, walking past the younger woman. Olivia stood at the counter, leaning against the polished wood and biting her lip as she waited for Cait to reappear. When the blonde did reenter the room, it wasn't alone.

"Fitz!" Olivia didn't care that Cait was in the room or that there was a man in a black suit trailing behind Fitz. It had been weeks since she'd seen him. Running across the bar, she slung her arms around Fitz's shoulders and giggled when he wrapped his own around her waist, lifting her off her feet. They stood like that for a few minutes, Olivia's forehead resting against Fitz's and his arms around her waist holding her aloft. When the man in the black suit cleared his throat, Fitz finally set her back on her feet.

"I can't believe you're here."

"Me either," she breathed, keeping her hands on his shoulders. "It was a spur of the moment decision. Margot encouraged it."

"I always _knew _I liked her," Fitz chuckled. "Where are you staying?"

"I don't know yet."

"Well…" His mischievous grin had her laughing and instantly shaking her head. She had a gut feeling that whatever he was planning had the potential of getting them both in trouble.

"No, Fitzgerald."

"Yes, Olivia." His blue eyes twinkled and he held her tightly. "I have a flat…"

"No! The paparazzi would freak and your grandmother would hate me worse than she probably already does —"

"It's not at the palace. You _inspired _me to try to live as normal a life as possible."

"And?"

"And I start at Oxford next term. So...I have a flat there. It's about an hour from here and no one is going to be looking."

"You make it so damn hard to say no."

"Good," he laughed, leaning down to place his lips against hers.

"Don't tink oi'm lettin' any av yer leave witoyt celebratin' first."

Olivia rested her head against Fitz's chest, turning to look at Cait as the woman set four shot glasses on the counter.

"Cait," Fitz laughed, "Really?"

"Aye, lover boy. Nigh draink."

Fitz laughed louder, shaking his head as he moved out of Olivia's embrace, grasping her hand in his. He led her to the bar where the black suit was already standing, watching as Cait filled the glasses with a dark brown liquid.

"Liv, this is Tom." Fitz finally introduced the door. Olivia reached her hand across his body, cheeks taking on a slight red tinge when the man simply waved at her instead. Fitz leaned down, whispering in her ear, "Handshakes aren't really his thing."

"Draink up!"

Fitz shook his head, reaching forward and grabbing a glass. Olivia followed suit, clinking her class against everyone else's before bringing it to her lips and tilting it back. She began coughing at the taste of black licorice that flooded her senses. Slamming her glass back on the counter, her eyes began to water as Fitz started rubbing her back.

"Yer gran?" Cait was looking at her with concern, an eyebrow raised. Olivia nodded, trying hard to quiet her coughs.

"I've never had that before," she admitted, accepting the glass of water that Cait handed her.

"I can tell," Fitz snickered, earning a glare from Olivia.

"You're lucky I love you."

"Oh don't I know _that_."

* * *

**A/N**: Olivia and Fitz have reunited! The next chapter covers their reunion and was originally part of this chapter, but I decided to make it it's own chapter because of the explicit nature. That way anyone can skip it if they want and won't miss out on anything. Unlike their previous sexual encounter, I wasn't writing about their first time (something that I wasn't all too comfortable writing) so it's a lot more _detailed_.

Until next time,

Gabi


	14. Darling, I Fancy You

Oxford was fucking beautiful. As much as she had appreciated the charm of London, Olivia instantly fell for the considerably smaller university town. Here was nothing but old world charm and Olivia could almost imagine the carriages, horses, and people that used to walk the streets. The architecture of the town, Medieval in design, took her breath away. Much as she loved her hometown, she could live here and be absolutely fine.

"Here we are," Fitz announced as the Rolls Royce they had taken rolled to a stop in front of a brick building. Olivia stared up at the building, eyes wide as she took in the sight. The lawn was well-manicured and a healthy green. The brick of the building, free of any vines or dirt, was a dark red surrounded by a waist-high stone fence. Reaching for the door handle, Olivia frowned when Tom jumped from the passenger seat and practically raced to beat her.

"Welcome to my world," Fitz whispered in her ear as Tom held the door open for the two. Olivia smirked, sliding out of the backseat and standing to the side as she waited for Fitz. Outside the car, he reached back into the backseat to grab her bag before slinging it across his back. Lacing his fingers with hers, he stopped to speak to Tom for a few moments.

"I would invite you in, mate, but -"

"It's quite alright, Your Highness." Tom inclined his head ever so slightly toward Fitz, standing with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I suppose telling you to go have fun would be useless."

"I will be monitoring the premises, sir."

"And reporting to Her Majesty?" Fitz smirked, rubbing his thumb against Olivia's, the slightly calloused pad of his thumb rubbing across her knuckle.

"Only that we are at your flat in Oxford, sir."

"Thanks, Tom." Fitz extended his free hand toward the man, shaking quickly before leading Olivia up the walk to the white trimmed, all-glass front door. Olivia tilted her head at that design feature. For a man who had to take extra precautions to ensure his privacy, an all-glass door was odd.

Stopping in front of the door, Fitz slid his free hand into his pocket and produced a house key. Sliding the key into the dark bronze lock, he twisted before turning the knob and pushing the door open. Pulling the key from the lock, he slid it back into his pocket before slamming the door back and turning the lock. Olivia's eyes travelled across the small, clean room that acted as an entrance for the rest of the home. The walls were an off-white. A wooden coat rack sat in one corner and a grey pew bench sat flush with the wall. The white throw pillows with the single red stripe down the middle were a feminine touch that Olivia couldn't imagine Fitz had made by himself.

"Cait helped me decorate. Well...Cait decorated. She kept telling me I couldn't bring you home to my bachelor's pad."

Olivia snorted at that. After meeting the spirited Irishwoman, she could imagine the blonde telling Fitz off - even if he was her prince. From what little Olivia had seen, and from what she knew of Fitz, she was willing to bet that Fitz was drawn to Cait _because _she treated him like a normal human being.

"She did a nice job. But she didn't mention that the two of you are _that _close." Olivia kicked out of her Converse, leaving them sitting by the entryway into what she could see was a small living room. Lightly coloured wood flooring traversed the floor as far as she could see. The wine-coloured, Adeline sofa that sat in front of a flat-screen television drew her attention. She had eyed that particular sofa many times at Pottery Barn. The dark red colour contrasted well with the cream walls and the cream throw pillows that were tossed on its cushions. The walls were bare and, unbidden, the thought crossed Olivia's mind that they wouldn't be bare for long.

"Come on." Fitz dropped her hand, walking through the room and dropping her bag on the sofa, "I'll make us something to eat."

Swallowing, Olivia followed Fitz further into the home. The kitchen was nice with all the necessities - a stove, a refrigerator, and a microwave. Sitting at one of the four light-brown, mango wood chairs around the marble, pedestal dining table, Olivia rested her elbows on the cool top. Turning her gaze to Fitz, she watched as he slung his blue suit jacket over one of the chairs and rolled up the sleeves of his white dress shirt. Winking at her, he moved to the refrigerator and began pulling ingredients out.

Tilting her head to the side, she eyed the clear bag with a purplish label across the bottom. Squinting, she could just make out the words on the bag as Fitz laid it on the counter: _Maris Piper Potatoes Sainsbury's. _As she was trying to figure out what he was going to make from the white potatoes, he pulled a pack of Cumberland Sausages out.

"I promise you'll like it," he chuckled, looking around the cabinets for pans.

"What is _it_?" Olivia wondered.

"Bangers and mash."

And boy did she like it. The fact that he could actually _cook _(even if it was something pretty simple) was a surprise to her. But the sausage and mashed potatoes were excellent. She wasn't sure why it had the name it did, but after taking the first bite she didn't really care. It was the perfect first meal in this country that she was already growing fond of - even if part of that fondness was because it had given her Fitz.

"Are you ready for bed?" Fitz asked after he had cleared their dishes, stacking them in the sink.

Olivia nodded, chewing thoughtfully on her bottom lip. Placing her hands on the wooden table, she pushed up, straightening her bent arms as she did so, and stood. Glancing to the narrow, white staircase on her right, she began speaking:

"Not to _sleep_."

A smirk fell across her lips when Fitz swallowed. Hard. Holding a hand out to her, he wrapped his fingers around hers and began pulling her toward the staircase. At the foot of the grey, carpeted stairs he released her hand and stood behind her. Placing a foot on the bottom stair, she yelped in surprise when she felt his hand land on her butt. Glancing over her shoulder, she pretended to glower at him.

"You started it." The man had the _nerve _to look innocent.

Rolling her eyes and adding an extra shake to her derriere, Olivia sauntered up the stairs. At the top of the staircase, she squealed once again when Fitz's arms snaked around her waist. Pulling her back flush against his chest, Olivia gasped at the feel of his hard dick shoved against the small of her back. Tilting her head to the side, she sighed as his lips sought her neck.

"Fitz," she hissed when she felt his teeth sinking into the tender skin below her ear. Eyes snapping open, she frowned when he immediately pulled his mouth away.

"I'm sorry."

"What are you apologising for?" Her breath was coming in short, even pants and she could feel her cheeks reddening. How had he turned her on so much already?

"I wasn't hurting you?" He sounded genuinely concerned, one of his hands rubbing soothing circles across her stomach as he rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Maybe a little," she admitted, "But it felt _good_."

"Well in that case…" And he was placing kisses against her shoulder before moving back to the spot beneath her ear. Pulling her skin back between his teeth, he sunk his teeth hard enough to leave a bruise before pulling away. Blowing warm air against her skin, he placed a soothing kiss to the already darkening area.

"Mmm. A hickey where everyone can see." Olivia giggled, imagining for a brief moment the reaction that would cause. If people thought what she was getting for breakfast was interesting…

"Just a reminder to everyone that you're mine." The slight rumble in the back of his throat coupled with the possessiveness of his statement sent a jolt between her thighs. She could agree to being his - she _liked _the idea of being his.

He pointed down the hall to his left and she nodded. In a few quick strides, they were entering his bedroom. Entering the room, her eyes were drawn to the window on the far wall across from the bed. The long, blackout curtains were a welcomed touch as he led her toward his bed. And oh the bed. Olivia could appreciate the parchment coloured upholstered headboard and the cherry red bedding. She was going to have to compliment Cait on her design skill at some point.

"I'm going to take a shower first," Fitz whispered against her lips, leaning over her as her bottom collided with the soft mattress. Sinking into the mattress, she sighed at how comfortable it felt.

"Okay." Licking her lips when he pulled away, she appreciated the view of his well-sculpted muscles when he unbuttoned his dress shirt.

"I was at an automobile factory all morning," he explained, tossing the white shirt into a wicker basket near the door. His blue dress pants were the next to go, joining the shirt in the basket and leaving him in a form-fitting dark pair of Calvin Klein's. Olivia bit her lip to keep from moaning.

"I'll be back," he promised as he disappeared through the door and back into the hallway.

* * *

Fitz had just finished rinsing the suds from his thick, curly hair and stepped out of the shower when he heard music floating down the hallway and through the slightly cracked door of the bathroom. Reaching blindly for a towel, wiping the excess water from his eyes before he finally opened the blue orbs, he tried to make out the song as he dried his hair. It was too muffled, though.

Slinging the towel around his hips, Fitz pulled the door open and padded back down the hallway, whistling as he went. Seeing Olivia had quickly pulled him out of the sour mood he had been in - Mellie and Cyrus were anything _but _quiet and he had been dealing with the repercussions of spurning them both. Thank God for Olivia and putting that smile back on his face.

Fitz's heart nearly stopped at the sight that greeted him in his bedroom. Olivia was wearing his discarded white button-up. _Only _his white button-up. She's fastened it until just below her breasts leaving a healthy bit of flesh visible. The shirt was just long enough on her that it covered her arse - until she lifted her arms that was. And she was making quite a show of lifting her arms as she sang along to some song he didn't know. But oh how her eyes sparkled and a grin covered her face as she sung along to him.

"You know I love a London boy." She placed her hands on her heart, pursuing her lips and glancing up before focusing on him once more. Placing her palms together, fingers stretched out and touching, she held her hands in an innocent gesture in front of her chin as she continued singing.

"I enjoy nights in Brixton, Shoreditch in the afternoon."

"He likes my American smile." The wide smile she gave him coaxed one of his own from his lips before he even knew what was happening. And the wink she gave him...God the wink. His body had cooled in the shower, but now he was on fire once more - especially as she swished her hips about with gusto. With each move, the shirt of his that she was wearing rode just a bit higher - revealing more and more of her bare arse.

"Like a child when our eyes meet, darling, I fancy you

Took me back to Highgate, met all of his best mates

So I guess all the rumours are true."

Laughing, Fitz moved further into the room and hit the power button on the radio. As silence fell across the room, Olivia inched toward him with that mischievous smile.

"All the rumours are true, huh?" He wondered, bending his head to place his lips on hers as his hands went to her bare behind, fingers sinking into her soft flesh.

"Oh but they must be," she replied, wrapping her arms around his neck and surprising him by pulling his bottom lip between her teeth.

"Mmm." His chest rumbled as he wrapped his arms around her waist. With barely any effort on his part, he had pulled her from her feet and was holding her in the air. Wrapping her legs around his waist, he groaned into her mouth when she began rolling her hips against his - grinding her bare pussy against the soft towel that was covering his growing erection.

"Bed," she whispered against his lips, pulling away and gasping as her movements were rewarded by the bulge under his towel hitting the bundle of nerves that were practically _pulsing _between her thighs.

In two great strides he was at the foot of the bed and laying her on the soft mattress. Pulling away from her, he pulled the towel from his hips. Eyes hooded, he watched as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt before tossing it from her body. Leaning down to press a kiss against her lips, his whispered words drew a whimper from her.

"This time I can make you scream as much as I want."

With a wink, he pecked her lips again before moving down her body. Sucking and nipping at her neck, he left a few more hickeys on the smooth skin before trailing his lips down her body. Kissing between her breasts, he brought a hand up to rub his thumb across her nipple. As the sensitive nub hardened beneath his thumb, he lifted his head and moved his mouth to her other breast. Taking a nipple in his mouth, he licked and suckled until the tip was hard against his tongue before gently sinking his teeth into the hardened flesh.

"Fuck." Her hands were in his hair, pulling at the thick strands. She hadn't pegged him as a biter and he certainly hadn't given any indication during their first encounter. She also hadn't expected his biting to make her wetter than she already was, either.

With a pop, he released her breast from his mouth and blew cool air against her wet skin. Moving his hands to her hips, he trailed wet kisses down her stomach. She whimpered when he spread her legs, ignoring her throbbing centre and turning his attention to the soft skin of her thighs. Placing kisses to her inner thigh, he surprised her once again when he nipped at the soft flesh there - leaving behind another dark bruise.

"Fitz," she groaned, her hands falling to his shoulders and nails digging into his skin.

"Tell me what you want, baby." His husky voice pulled another moan from her throat as his blue eyes met hers.

"You."

"Hmm." He tilted his head, seeming to consider her request. "You already have me."

"Fitz," she whimpered. He had moved his hand to her vagina, using his fingers to hold her open as he blew warm air against her clit.

"Olivia," he teased, his fingers growing wet with her arousal.

"I want you to eat me out."

* * *

The man could take a fucking request. Olivia wasn't quite sure where she wanted her hands to be as she felt him dragging his tongue all the way from her vagina to her clit. And she definitely couldn't stop the scream that fell from her lips when his wrapped around the swollen bundle of nerves. She was practically _grinding _against his face as he sucked and nipped that sweet bundle of pleasure. If she had thought he was good at this before...Where had this enthusiasm been the first time?

"Fitz, I'm…" She couldn't finish her sentence as her legs began to tremble, thighs pressed against his ears and holding him in place as every nerve in her body stood on end. He had shoved a thick finger into her and the wet sounds of him pumping in and out caused her to moan. Suddenly, her vagina was squeezing around his thick digit and her clit was _vibrating_ as he gave her the best orgasm of her life.

She surprised him, and herself, when she grabbed his wrist after he pulled his finger from her. Pulling on his wrist, she brought his hand to her face and stuck his finger in her mouth - tongue lolling around his skin. He groaned at the sight, eyes half-closed.

"Fuck, Liv." He brought his lips to hers after she released his finger, groaning when she slid her tongue between his lips. They were both just full of surprises tonight.

"Want to try something new?" Fitz asked, voice husky, as he pulled away from their kiss.

"Sure," she nodded, biting her lip.

"Turn around and get on your knees."

Trembling with anticipation, she scrambled to sit up. Rolling around, knees now digging into the mattress, she bent until her forearms were touching the soft bed - holding her aloft as she arched her back.

"Do you know how fucking amazing you look?"

A blush crept across her cheeks as she felt him leave the bed. She could imagine what kind of image she was giving - her cheek pressed against the silky sheets and her ass in the air. Her whole body was on fire as she waited for his touch.

"What are you doing?"

He was taking his damn time.

"Just grabbing a condom."

Okay. At least he was sensible.

It wasn't a moment later that she felt the bed dip once more and she pictured him kneeling behind her.

"Holy -" she shrieked when she felt his hand collide with her right cheek.

"That wasn't too hard, was it?" He sounded concerned. She had to stop herself from laughing.

"No. Just unexpected." And it was. Just as she hadn't expected him to be a biter, she also hadn't expected him to spank him. And she hadn't expected to like it.

"Good." His fingers were smoothing across the still stinging skin where he had spanked her. A moment later, she felt another hard smack against her left cheek before his fingers began smoothing over _that _area. As he was still soothing her, he began rubbing his cock against her slick folds.

"That feels so good," she moaned as the tip of his dick hit her clit each time he slid it along her folds, coating himself in her wetness.

"Mmm-hmm," he mumbled in agreement, moving his lips to the back of her neck as he moved his dick to her vagina, pushing just the tip in. Olivia bit her lip - even after he had fingered her, she was still tight. She was grateful for the shallow thrusts he made, going a bit deeper each time until he was hilted within her.

"Let me know when you're ready," he spoke against her skin.

Breathing heavily, Olivia was grateful for his thoughtfulness. He was _thick _and this was only the second time she had had sex. Even with him having gone slow, there was still a slight burn from where he was stretching her.

After a few minutes, she began rotating her hips against his, pushing her ass back against him. He took that as his cue to pull back before roughly snapping forward. Olivia groaned when he wrapped an arm around her waist, snaking his hand down between her thighs and sliding his fingers between her folds.

"You look so fucking good, baby."

Damn his bedroom talk was hot. Yet another thing Olivia didn't know she liked. Without thinking, she allowed her legs to fall further apart when his fingers circled her clit.

"I love when you talk dirty to me," she moaned, burying her face in the bedding.

"Do you now?" he chuckled, moving his lips to her ear, "You should see how _amazing _my cock looks. Covered in your cum. Buried in you."

Biting the sheets, her scream was somewhat muffled as she came around him. Just barely she registered the sporadic jerks of his hips and the low groan of her name. She did; however, register the pain in her shoulder as his teeth sank into her skin when he came. She was going to have quite the bruise in the morning. And as she came down from her high, she smiled.

He had laid his claim to her in more ways than one that night.

* * *

**A/N - **So London Boy wasn't out when I first wrote this chapter, but it was too good an opportunity to miss. I thought: "Hey, why not?" when I was editing and well, here we are with that scene making an appearance in this chapter. For anyone who is curious, London Boy is by Taylor Swift.

Fitz is a bit kinky. Yeah, we'll go with kinky. Olivia is willing to follow his lead, though. They needed this *fluffy* moment. Things get a bit more serious in the next few chapters.

Until next time,

Gabi


	15. She's Got the Future

"Why didn't we do this before?" Olivia groaned, tilting her head to the side as Fitz ran the soapy washcloth over her shoulders. She sighed when he moved the wet, warm cloth down her back, over her round bottom and then down each leg. Practically purring, she twisted around when she felt his hand on her shoulder - gently pushing. Starting at her collarbone, he dragged the cloth across her chest, over and under each breast and then down her stomach. Her breath hitched in her throat when he gently ran the cloth between her legs - cleansing any potential evidence left from their night before. After he had finished, he coaxed her under the warm spray of the shower.

"We didn't do this before because we were at your house. Your _father's _house," he reminded her, helping her rinse the suds from her body.

"At least we don't have to worry about him here," Olivia mumered, tilting her head back to rest against his shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about -"

"Not right now."

"Okay." His hands brushed along her sides, travelling down her body to the curve of her hips. Olivia bit her lip, shivering with anticipation he gripped her hip with one hand and slid the other across her stomach. Each stroke of his fingers across her taunt, smooth skin caused her to tremble.

"What are you doing to me?" She whispered as his hand travelled further south, brushing over the smooth, silky skin between her thighs. As much as she had complained about waxing the first time she'd ever gotten it done, she was glad now that she had let Margot talk her into it. Fitz seemed to appreciate her efforts.

"I could ask you the same question." His husky voice against her ear had her moaning aloud.

"Fitz." Olivia's eyes grew wide and her hands gripped at his arms when he suddenly dipped a finger between her folds, brushing against her clit. He didn't stop there, though. Without a thought, she slid her feet further away - giving Fitz plenty of room to work. And boy did he.

"I can't wait until you're living here and this becomes our daily routine."

Olivia's heart beat furiously at his words as he slowly began pumping his fingers in and out of her, his thumb rubbing circles around her clit. Biting her lip, eyes half-closed, she wondered just how serious he was about what he had proposed. Living with Fitz seemed like paradise to Olivia.

"Fi-itz." Her voice cracked as his name fell from her lips in a high-pitch crescendo. Nails digging into his forearms to keep herself from slipping, her thoughts took an abrupt halt. The only thing that mattered at that point was the feel of his fingers stretching her, bringing her to the brink.

"Come for me, baby," he whispered against her shoulder, his lips latching onto her skin. She shuddered as his teeth scraped against an already darkened bruise. Head falling to the side, her mouth fell open and she gasped as she came.

"Umpf," Olivia complained when Fitz pulled his fingers from her. Still gripping his forearms, she slid her hand to his wrist. Turning around on shaky legs, her eyes met his as she pulled his hand toward her. With a mischievous grin, she wrapped her lips around his fingers - sucking on his thick digits.

"Well that's new," he smirked, pulling his fingers from her mouth and moving his hands to her hips.

"I'm learning from the best." She stood on the tips of her toes, pressing her lips against his.

"Our families would be so proud," Fitz chuckled, holding her tightly against him, her hair clinging to his wet skin. "I'm supposed to have afternoon tea with friends. It's not an official engagement nor is it a public affair."

Olivia tilted her head. The way he spoke made it almost seem as if he were inviting her, but he hadn't actually _said _he wanted her to go.

"And?" She asked when he seemed to be less than forthcoming with any further details. Instead, he had taken to staring down at her as the now cooling water hit his back.

"Care to accompany me?"

"Yes, I will _accompany_ you, you dork."

* * *

"What do I even wear?" Olivia groaned, digging around in her bag and shaking her head at the jeans and t-shirts she had packed in a hurry. Nothing seemed suitable for afternoon tea. She wasn't even sure _what _she was supposed to wear in the first place.

"Nothing too fancy, but -"

"Not jeans and a t-shirt either?" Olivia raised a brow, sighing as she zipped her bag and tossed it back onto the floor.

"No." Fitz was just finishing zipping his blue dress pants. Lifting his arm, he looked at the watch on his wrist. "We have time if you want to go shopping."

"Won't that be a spectacle with the press?"

"Probably," Fitz sighed, scratching the side of his chin. "I could call Cait and see if she'd want to go shopping with you."

"Really?" Olivia tilted her head, raising a brow.

"Right. You hate shopping. I'll see if Cait has something you can borrow."

"Thanks." Olivia smiled, crossing the room to the bathroom. Standing in front of the mirror, she frowned at the reflection staring back at her. Her hair was an absolute mess - the night before and her shower that morning hadn't done her much favours. She also hadn't packed much makeup. Sighing, she decided she was just going to have to make the most of it.

She could hear Fitz on the phone. From the sounds of it, Cait was giving him quite the time. Olivia giggled at that - she expected nothing less of the feisty Irishwoman.

"She'll be here in an hour or so," Fitz announced after finally hanging up the phone, leaning against the doorway into the bathroom. Olivia's gaze met his through the mirror and a soft smile touched her lips.

"She didn't seem too enthused that you were asking about a dress."

"She just likes to give me hell."

"I knew I liked her for some reason," Olivia laughed. "So…"

"So…?" Fitz raised a brow.

"I've been writing essays for universities here."

"You want to go to uni here?"

"Of course I do." Olivia turned around, leaning her back against the counter. "I want to move here."

"What unis are you applying to?" With his curls flopped over his eye and a gleeful grin on his face, he almost looked childish. It was a look she enjoyed.

"Well...I looked at Oxford, but didn't think I would get -"

"Yes you will."

"Fitz -"

"It won't be because I pulled any strings," he grinned, entering the bathroom and putting his hands on her hips.

"It's competitive. They only accept the best."

"You _are_ the best, Liv."

* * *

"I feel ridiculous," Olivia whispered, hands wrapped around Fitz's arm as they entered one of his friends' homes.

"You look beautiful," Fitz replied, gaze trained straight ahead. Cait had really come through. The white, mid-calf dress with lacy, off-the-shoulder half-sleeves fit Olivia like a glove and was the picture of elegance. White, strappy heels were more a nuisance to Olivia than anything else. Still, she had felt good in the dress until the moment she'd stepped into the large, brick mansion. Now, she felt like an imposter.

"Are you still sure you want me here?" She gave a small laugh, trying to downplay the nerves that were twisting in the pit of her stomach. All around were Fitz's glamourous friends - wearing labels and heels that Olivia would have avoided at any other time. The whole room felt so...materialistic.

"The answer will always be yes." He raised a hand to pat hers, bending his head slightly toward her to whisper, "Everything will change after today, Liv. This may not be an official event, but rumours will still make their rounds. We may as well be making an announcement that we are a couple."

"Does that bother you?"

Shaking his head, Fitz lead her toward a couple standing at the front of the room.

"No, Livvie."

Olivia had a grin on her face when Fitz stopped before the redheaded couple. Her eyes skimmed across the tall woman wearing a green maxi dress. Olivia blushed when the woman curtseyed and the man beside her bowed, extending their hands to shake Fitz's and then hers. It seemed every courtesy that Fitz received was given to her by extension. Along with all the attention.

"James. Rosalyn. I'd like you to meet Olivia."

It didn't take long for Olivia to realise why Fitz had introduced her to James and Rosalyn first. Aside from the fact that they were the owners of the picturesque brick mansion and the hosts of this tea, they were warm and welcoming. Rosalyn became somewhat of a buffer, staying with Olivia long after Fitz had been pulled off to the side by a group of his friends.

"You get used to it," Rosalyn offered once they were finally alone. It seemed everyone wanted to talk, wanted to shake hands with Olivia now that the news of her relationship with Fitz had made its rounds. They were all judging her - she wasn't naive enough to believe otherwise. She could only hope she was making a decent first impression.

"That's comforting."

"It's not all b - Oh fuck."

Olivia's gaze whipped to the shocked expression on Rosalyn's face. The whispered curse word felt out of place in their current setting. Following Rosalyn's gaze, Olivia's eyes settled on the tall brunette walking toward them with a purpose.

"Mellie," Rosalyn sneered, "She's -"

"I know who she is." Olivia narrowed her eyes.

"I'll be completely honest. She can be a bit of a bitch."

Olivia didn't have the chance to respond. Mellie came to a halt before the duo, her blue eyes burning as she stared down her nose at Olivia. Tossing her shoulder-length curls over her shoulder, she began speaking:

"So _you're _the woman sneaking around in public with my man."

Olivia scoffed, shaking her head. Surely this woman couldn't be for real? Fitz had opened up to her about his relationship with Mellie. His relationship that had never actually _been _a relationship. They had spent a weekend together and Mellie had been clingy ever since. Unfortunately for Fitz, Mellie's father's money had ensured that she would be travelling in the prince's social circles. Even the no-contact order Mellie had been served earlier that summer hadn't prevented these occassional run-ins.

"You're the woman harrassing my boyfriend."

"Ha. Oh honey." Mellie shook her head. If it weren't for the malice lurking just beneath the surface of her eyes, her softening facial expression could have been mistaken for pity. "You're just his new plaything."

"Wow. I don't know if I should be offended or if I should pity just how delusional you are."

"He is mine. He was mine first."

"He _slept _with you first. There's a difference. If he wanted a relationship with you, Mellie, he wouldn't have spent the summer hiding on a different continent. He wouldn't have neglected to tell you where he was going and he would have spoken up when you were served with that no contact order. Face it: you got the boy. I have the man. And I'm not going anywhere. So you can turn around and try threatening someone else - I'm not giving up the one person I love in this world just so you can get a free pass in life."

Gaze travelling over Mellie's shoulder, Olivia met Tom's approving grin and slight nod. She had a sneaking suspicion that he had heard the majority of their conversation and held off on his intervention until after Olivia had finished speaking. Watching Tom lead Mellie away - reminding her that she wasn't supposed to be near Fitz and that he would definitely not be turning his head the other way in the same manner Cyrus had, was the icing on the cake.

"Hm," Rosalyn hummed, her finger drumming against her cheek as she followed Tom and Mellie's progress. "You're going to fit right in, Olivia. Fitz chose well."

* * *

_**A/N - **_Olivia's officially met Fitz's other friends and she's had her first run-in with Mellie. A run-in that she seems to have come out on the winning side. We all know Mellie, though, and she tends to have a bit more up her sleeves. Liv and Fitz still have the problem of her father to address and the fact that they are, more than less, a _public _couple now. Fitz may not have a lot of adjusting to do, but Olivia sure will.

Until next time,

Gabi


	16. Vetted

"_Before you leave, would you be willing to meet someone?"_

As Olivia waltzed down the carpeted halls of Kensington Palace, Fitz's _official _residence, she was starting to regret agreeing to this. It was so damn hard telling Fitz no, though. And when he had looked at her with those bright, blue eyes, it had been her undoing. So here she was - wearing the same dress she had worn to his friends' tea and feeling severely underdressed. Her father had money - had had it since his breakthrough best-selling novel right before she was born. And her mother was a tenured, head of the English department at Columbia. Olivia had never wanted for anything and was well-aware that she led a life more privileged than most. Fitz's home was a whole other level, though. She wasn't so sure she fit.

"Mr. Dugard will be with you soon."

Taking a deep breath, Olivia nodded toward Leticia. She had met Fitz's red-headed private secretary roughly two hours prior. Her heart had nearly stopped at the sight of the woman - so much like Abby that she could have been her twin. Unlike Abby, though, Leticia was quiet and reserved - a proper English lady. Part of Olivia wondered when the day would come that Fitz's family would try to turn _her _into a lady and make no mistake, Olivia knew that day would come.

"Thanks, Leticia."

Olivia sat in the cream chair that was offered to her, holding her breath as she did so. The chair was old - like almost everything else that she had passed thus far in Fitz's home. Thoughts swirled in the back of her mind - making her wonder what would happen if she managed to break the chair. Knowing her luck, the chair would have belonged to Fitz's great-great-great grandfather or something of the likes.

The door opened once more, barely a half-second after Leticia had closed it. Sliding her eyes toward the dark, oaken door, Olivia exhaled sharply as she took in the sight of Clarence Dugard. His hair was greying, pudgy jowls giving him the appearance of a bulldog. It was a comparison Fitz had mad and staring at the man now, Olivia was slightly embarrassed that she had jumped onto Fitz for the unflattering image. The thick, leather bound planner in Clarence's hands made Olivia nearly as nervous as his appearance.

"Ms. Pope." Clarence extended his hand, the dark, pinstriped suit jacket of his riding ridiculously high, and firmly shook Olivia's hand. Dropping her hand, he sat heavily in the chair across from her. The action had Olivia wincing in anticipation of a collapse.

"Mr. Dugard." Olivia tucked her hands into her lap, crossing her legs at the ankle - the way Fitz had shown her. She had laughed at the time - the sight of Fitz teaching her how to properly sit like a duchess or princess would had been hysterical. Now, she didn't think it was so funny. The approving look Clarence had given her made her happy that she had learned.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. His Highness has spoken highly of you."

"Fitz is -" Olivia began, twisting her hands nervously at the look Clarence gave her before opening his planner and scribbling a note. Taking a deep breath, trying to calm her erratically beating heart, she tried again. "His Highness is too kind."

"This is a fairly simple process, Ms. Pope. I will ask questions and you will —"

"Answer. Got it." Olivia fought the urge to roll her eyes at Clarence's raised brow and slightly indignant expression. Finishing his sentences was apparently frowned upon. Got it. She had spent the night before and that morning practicing with Fitz - preparing for any and every question that Clarence might throw at her. The downside to that was that Olivia sometimes got ahead of herself when she was well-prepared. It had happened a lot on tests in school.

"How old are you?" Clarence stared expectantly at her, his dark eyes shining. Olivia wasn't sure if it was because of some allergy or because he was eager to dismiss her - eager for her to either walk out or refuse to answer a question.

"18." He had to know that, didn't he? According to Fitz, his grandmother had requested a thorough background report after he'd told her who he was dating. Olivia couldn't picture that information not being shared with the queen's private secretary. Leticia seemed to know everything going and coming in Fitz's life.

"And you have graduated —"

"High school. I'm applying to colleges now." She tried not to smile at the annoyed expression on his face. Apparently, Clarence didn't like to be interrupted.

"You aren't already —"

"I decided to attend college here."

"I see," Clarence mumbled, his pen scratching across the paper in his planner. "Your family?"

"What about my family?" Olivia didn't like to talk about her family to her friends or even her own family. The thought of talking about them to a stranger wasn't very appealing. She knew that her family was dysfunctional. No need for someone she was just meeting to tell her that.

"Do you have any siblings? The status of your parents' relationship —"

"I have a baby sister. Sylvia. She has an awful name, but my dad chose it. He's an author. Thinks we should all have strong names. He absolutely hates mine by the way." Olivia smirked. She was fairly confident that Eli wasn't aware that she knew he hated her name. It was a conversation she had overheard between her parents when she was around six. He had told Maya that she wouldn't amount to much - not with a name like Olivia. It was too easy to forget. Too common.

"Your parents?"

"Are divorced. My dad is a terrible father. My mom isn't much better. They were all I had until two years ago. Now I have Margot. She's…so much more than a stepmom."

"Should there be a wedding, will they be a problem?" Clarence rested his chin in his hand, his planner balancing precariously in his lap.

"I wouldn't sit them together." Olivia shrugged. Her parents tended to argue…and throw things when they were in the same room.

"Hmm."

"Not ideal, I know." She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing at the annoyed look she received in response. Her intentions of playing nice had gradually been slipping away from the moment Clarence had appeared to judge her simply for calling Fitz by his name.

"Are there any…past indiscretions or familial disputes that I should be made aware, Ms. Pope?"

It was a struggle not to roll her eyes when Clarence wrinkled his nose - looking at her as if she were full of problems.

"My best friends and I were hit by a drunk driver two years ago. My _best _friend didn't make it."

"That," Clarence began making notes in his planner once more. "we can spin for sympathy points. We'll find some charity related to that sort of thing for you to patron."

Gripping the edge of the curved, armrests, Olivia dug her nails into the undersides. Clarence's caviler attitude had the thought of punching him running through her mind.

"Your virginity?"

The question threw her off guard and it was a struggle to prevent her jaw from falling. Biting her lip, Olivia decided against the first thought that had sprung to her lips: _My virginity? It was intact until His Highness came along. _

"I don't see how that is any of your business, Mr. Dugard."

He shut his planner, loudly, and clasped his hands atop the leather cover. Leaning forward, his eyes sparkled and his jowls quivered as he began speaking:

"You are on the precipice of becoming a member of the royal family, Ms. Pope - as I am sure you are fully aware. This means that your life no longer belongs to you. Any mistakes you make or _have_ made, have the potential of harming the monarchy and we do _not _harm the monarchy. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Olivia smirked, using the armrests to push herself into a standing position. Extending her hand toward Clarence and plastering a smile on her face, she shook his hand. If he was so certain that she was on the verge of marrying Fitz, well then it was time she act the part. Starting with following the same procedure she had seen Fitz use over the weekend when he was finished with a conversation.

"That will be all, Mr. Dugard."

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and flounced out of the sitting room. Childish, she knew, but there was only so much she could take. The personal questions were not something she was going to cave on. Her personal life was…personal.

"Whoa! Where are you heading?" Fitz caught her in his arms, wrapping his hands around her upper-arms to hold her steady as she wobbled in her cream-coloured heels. She struggled enough to walk in the damn things without running into anyone.

"As far from my inquisitor as possible." Olivia glanced behind her, peering down the long hallway. She was relieved that the only thing she saw behind her was carpet and portraits - she didn't have it in her to deal with Clarence any longer.

"I told him not to be too challenging."

"Challenging?" Olivia seethed, turning her attention to her boyfriend. "He asked about my virginity, Fitz. And the whole time he looked at me like I had no business even being in the same room as him."

"I'm sorry, Livvie." Fitz pulled her close to his body, cradling her against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her body, he rubbed his hands soothingly against her back. Olivia inhaled deeply, the heady scent of his cologne calming her frazzled nerves. "I wouldn't have agreed to this if I'd known he was going to act that way or ask that question. There are a lot of hoops we have to jump through and official approval from my gran will take care of about ninety-nine of them. I can't ask you to marry me if she doesn't approve."

"She won't approve of me unless I make a good impression on Clarence Dugard?" Olivia frowned. Suddenly, she was nervous. Very nervous. There was no way Clarence was going to report favourably to the queen on their meeting. He had gotten under her skin and Olivia knew that at the end, she hadn't done such a good job of hiding that.

"He's not important, Livvie. You _will _meet my gran and she _will _love you."

"How can you be so sure of that?" Olivia pulled back, looking up into Fitz's baby blues. Pulling a hand free from between their bodies, she brushed a loose curl away from his eyes.

"Because you're you. And because I love you."

Her heart melted at the goofy, innocent smile he gave her. He had a way of being optimistic when she wasn't. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling as he pressed his lips against hers. Already, she was dreading the plane that she would have to be on in about twelve hours' time.

* * *

"When are you coming back?" Fitz looked up at her from his place kneeling on the floor. Olivia sat before him, her bare-ass cold against the leather of his desk chair. Her chest rose and fell with each breath she took - the pink lace of her bra barely covering the flesh beneath. Eyes half-closed, she bit her lip as Fitz pressed kisses against the smooth skin of her upper thigh.

"As soon as I can," she responded, nails digging into the leather armrests of the chair - she knew when she pulled away that there would be half-moon crescent shaped indentions. Fitz didn't seem to mind, though.

"Don't stay away from me for too long."

Her hand flew to the back of the chair, gripping the headrest, when he raised her leg and draped it across the armrest. Her whole body trembled with anticipation as she sat before him, legs spread wide. His lips were warm and wet against her skin, trailing kisses up her thighs.

"Hopefully the next time I come back, I won't have to le-eave." Olivia's voice trailed in a high-pitched squeal when Fitz leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her throbbing centre.

"I will have to give you a reason not to leave."

His hand moved to her stomach, pushing against her attempts to grind on his face. She was on the verge of complaining about his slow pace when he suddenly slipped his tongue between her folds. Wrapping his thick hair between her fingers, she pulled on the sensitive strands when he flicked her clit with his tongue. Her stomach muscles tightened, her body on edge and eager to move if only Fitz would let her.

"Oh my —" Olivia bit her lip so hard that she could taste blood pouring into her mouth when he slid a finger into her. The wet sound of his fingers sliding in and out of her filled the room and she pulled harder at his hair.

"Fitz," she whimpered when he suddenly pulled away, using his fingers to hold her lips apart and blow cool air against her engorged clit. He used his broad shoulders to prevent her from slamming her legs together - giving her the friction that she desired now that Fitz was no longer providing it. Gripping her other leg, dangling in the air just above the floor, Fitz placed it over the opposite armrest and stood.

"Love you babe." He leaned down, kissing her lips before turning to the desk and grabbing the foil packet they had laid there earlier. After rolling the condom onto his hardened length, he turned back to Olivia and gently helped her put both her feet back on the floor. She held onto him as she wobbled slightly on her feet - her legs tingling after having been perched on the armrests for so long.

"Come here, babe." He moved his hands to her waist and guided her back toward him after he had sat in the leather chair.

"Oompf." Olivia's hands went to Fitz's forearms when he lined his dick up with her entrance and slowly guided her down his length, onto his lap. Her head fell back against his shoulder, mouth falling open at the feel of him stretching her.

"Just think: you won't get this while you're in the States."

He slid his hand between her legs, flicking his thumb across her clit once…twice…three times before she came. Her stomach muscles clenched in tandem with her vagina and her whole body felt like it was on fire - every nerve standing at attention. She could feel the liquid coating her thighs as well as his and felt a blush rise to her cheeks - that was something that hadn't happened before.

"And you were about to yell at me for stopping." His hands were at her waist once more, urging her to start rolling her hips.

"Who…said…I…was about…to…yell?" She twisted her head to the side, just enough to see his smirk from the corner of her eyes.

"I can read you like a book, babe."

He sounded proud of that, bringing a smile to her face. He sure was making her past, juvenile relationships look bad. Fingers digging into the armrests, she used them to aid in lifting her body up and down his length. The chair had seemed like a great idea at first - something new and exciting, but now that she realised her legs weren't quite long enough for her feet to reach the floor…it wasn't that great of an idea.

"You don't have to do that," Fitz whispered in her ear, his mouth going to her neck to plant a couple kisses. Olivia gritted her teeth, sheathing him completely before giving her straining arm muscles a rest. She wasn't still long before moving again, grunting in pleasure when Fitz lifted his pelvis - his hips slapping against her ass with each twist of her hips.

"I'm close," he warned, sucking on her neck - taking her skin between his teeth and biting gently. Olivia sped up her movements, eager to bring Fitz to the same pleasure she had experienced and was on the verge of experiencing once more. When she came, squeezing around his dick, Fitz groaned - his own orgasm hitting him with full force.

Exhausted, they slowly made their way to the soft carpet of the office. Fitz held her close, stroking her hair with his lips twisted downward.

"Don't stay gone too long, Livvie."

* * *

"Welcome home!" Margot threw her arms around Olivia after she had dropped her suitcase on the tiled kitchen floor.

"Thought we'd lost you to London there for a minute."

Olivia looked over Margot's shoulder to see David sitting at the table, a wide grin covering his face. One that Olivia was quick to return.

"Oh I'm definitely moving," Olivia laughed, releasing Margot. Trekking across the floor, she pulled a chair out from the table and plopped into the seat.

"Did you get to go to the palace? See the queen?" David placed his hands on the table, leaning forward as if he were awaiting the juiciest gossip of the day. He would look almost serious if his glasses weren't slightly askew.

"I haven't met the queen yet, but I did meet her private secretary. I didn't go to _the_ palace, but Fitz showed me around Kensington Palace." She reached for an apple from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table. Twisting the bright, red apple around her hands, she took a bite of the juicy fruit.

"Impressive," Margot whistled.

"Terrifying," Olivia corrected. "Where's Sylvia?"

"As scary as it is, with your father."

"Oh," Olivia frowned, suddenly not so interested in her apple.

"You've seen the interview."

"Watched it on the way home."

"Olivia -"

"Margot, I don't think there is any sugarcoating what he did. On national television, he claimed that he and Fitz are best friends and he convinced Fitz to strike up a relationship with me. Then he said that after he should get all the credit for starting this 'beautiful love story', I've cut him off and refuse to talk to him. He's…" Olivia shook her head, frowning at the half-eaten apple she held in her hand.

"Has Fitz said anything about that yet?"

"Typically, their modus operandi is to ignore these things. Wait for them to go away on their own." Olivia shrugged, standing from her chair and walking to the trashcan. Tossing the apple into the white trashcan, she leaned against the counter.

"I don't think silence is going to make this or your father go away," Margot sighed.

"I don't think so, either." Olivia ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply.

"What do you do then?" David wondered, raising a brow in Olivia's direction.

"It's kind of _their _court, David. Fitz has all but told me that he's going to propose and he's been preparing me for that. I have to play by their rules and if they say something, then they're participating in tabloid gossip and that's not what they do."

David nodded, interlocking his fingers and resting his chin on his hand.

"I get that, Liv, but don't forget who you are in the process."

"That won't happen," Olivia promised. "They can't make me into someone I'm not."

"For the time being," Margot wrapped her arm around Olivia, "I'll try talking to your dad again."

"Good luck with that."

"Anything you don't want me to say?"

Olivia shook her head. "Tell him whatever and if he's mad that he didn't hear it from me, remind him that he created this rift. Not me."

"Hopefully he'll see reason."

"Maybe. Maybe not. It's my dad. I quit trying to understand him a long time ago." Olivia wrapped her arm around Margot in a semi-hug before disengaging herself from her stepmother. Moving to the refrigerator to find something to drink, Olivia murmered: "And I should probably call my mom. Fill her in on my plans to move and plans for college. She isn't going to be happy."

"Hey," David interjected, "I got your back with Mama Maya. We could fly out to see her if you want, Liv. Get this done face-to-face."

Reaching for a bottle of water, Olivia shut the refrigerator door and turned around to face David.

"Deal. Road trip!"

"Does it count as a road trip when you're flying?" David wondered, laughing at the mock enthusiasm Olivia had mustered.

"One last huzzah before my new life starts," Olivia compromised.

"Nah. Not the last one."

"Oh yeah?"

"We're definitely going to have one last big huzzah with _everyone _before you leave us," David promised, grinning at the excitment Olivia showed. She sat her water on the counter and crossed the room to throw her arms around David.

"You're the best!"

"You haven't even heard what we're doing."

"I don't care what it is as long as everyone's there."

"We'll see if you still feel that way later," David chuckled.

* * *

**A/N - **I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday season! Now that they're over, hopefully we can return to a normal posting schedule.

So Liv has gotten her first taste of what her new life will be like and she hasn't ran away. That's always a good sign! Eli is being as shady as ever and Olivia seems to be just done with the whole ordeal. Hopefully Mama Maya is a little better. '

Until next time,

Gabi


	17. Runaway American Dream

**A/N - **Please give "Born to Run" by Springsteen a listen while reading this chapter. Trust me, it will add to the general atmosphere.

Until next time,

Gabi

* * *

"I hate people," Olivia grumbled, squeezing her fingers tightly around the straps of her backpack. Rolling her shoulders, she adjusted the weight somewhat. It wasn't too heavy - just a single change of clothes. She'd be damned if she was staying in NYC long.

"You do realise that you are going to be surrounded by people for the rest of your life?" David slung his carry-on over his shoulder, stopping to survey the crowded street corner they were standing on.

"Not _this _many people. I feel claustrophobic." Olivia lifted a hand, shading her eyes as she scanned the crowded sidewalk.

"You're right - there's going to be a glass wall," David grinned, playfully bumping his shoulder against Olivia's and pointing to the right.

"Let's get this over with," Olivia sighed, waiting for the light on the crosswalk to change before following David across the street.

"How long has it been?"

"A year? Maybe two? I've always hated coming here and Maya didn't seem to care if I visited." Olivia bit her lip, wiggling her foot inside the orange Converse she was wearing. Her eyes scanned the concrete beneath her feet. She frowned at the sight of a squashed pizza - sidestepping the mess and having to do a little jog to catch up with David.

"Have you talked to her?" David stopped outside a tall, brown-brick apartment building.

"Just texted her." Olivia held her phone aloft, nodding toward the small, black box near the glass door. "She'll have to let us in."

"You didn't tell her we were coming." David shook his head, leaning against the wall to his side.

"Told her last night," Olivia shrugged, dragging the toe of her shoe against the concrete. "Got an 'okay' this morning."

"Does she know about Fitz?" David turned his attention to the inside of the building, just past the glass doors. Maya was slowly making her way down the staircase in front of the doors.

"Everyone knows about Fitz," Olivia smirked, "I see my face on a magazine every damn day."

"Speaking of magazines...you see the one when we boarded this morning?"

"They're trying to figure out what we're doing before we even do it," Olivia observed, lifting her head to watch her mother's approach. Maya was getting closer.

"They want that royal wedding," David laughed, shoving off the wall as Maya opened the glass door for the two.

"Olivia." Her name was the only greeting Maya offered, standing to the side and allowing Olivia and David to enter the cool apartment building. Letting the door go, Maya stomped off toward the staircase - keeping her back to her guests on the way to her apartment door.

"You have not visited," Maya remarked, inserting her key into the lock and twisting. Tossing the door open, Maya pulled her key from the lock and continued through the small hallway that connected to the kitchen.

"I was living my life."

"At least you maintained your GPA. I have not heard of an application to Columbia, yet." Maya stopped in the small space between the island and the back of her sofa.

"I sent an application to Oxford. I should be hearing back from them any day." Olivia paused just inside the room, her foot tapping against the hardwood floor.

"Oxford? In the United Kingdom?" Maya clasped her hands together, her index finger brushing against the large, round opal ring on her opposite hand. Lines marred her face as she frowned.

"I'm planning on moving there." Olivia slipped her arms from the straps of her backpack and dropped it to the floor at her feet. Using her foot, she kicked the bag toward the white wall.

"For a man?" Maya raised a brow, twisting the side of her mouth in what could almost count as a snarl.

"For a man. For myself. Oxford's not easy." Olivia shrugged.

"Even if you get accepted, that Oxford education is not going to mean anything. They will have you wearing dresses and smiling and nodding while he does all the talking."

"Just because you can't be happy in a relationship, mom, doesn't mean that I can't." Olivia shook her head, treading across the space before the stove and to the stainless steel refrigerator. Opening the door, she reached for a couple bottles of water - tossing one to David.

"We will see. You will come running back when you realise that his family is trying to change you. That he is trying to change you."

"Hm," Olivia frowned, twisting the cap off her water and sipping heartily. Swallowing, she sat the bottle on the counter and tilted her head. "I guess at least you're not selling me to the papers like dad."

"Of course your father would do anything to bolster his own publicity." Maya wrinkled her nose, dropping her hands and turning on her heel. "I have a class in an hour. David may take the guest room."

And that was the end of Olivia's conversation with her mother. Once Maya had left for her class, David and Olivia sprawled out over the chocolate coloured roll-arm sofa. A reality show played on the flat screen, providing background music as the two friends spoke.

"You think your mom will get used to you and Fitz?" David's feet were propped on the white, round wooden coffee table in front of the sofa.

"Maybe. Maybe not. She's too caught up on being a feminist to be happy that I'm in a relationship."

"Liv?"

"Yeah?"

"_You're _a feminist."

"Except I want equality and she hates men," Olivia shrugged, stretching her legs out and crossing them over David's. "She and my dad didn't end on good terms."

"They were a recipe for disaster." David's attention was drawn to the television as screaming echoed through the room. "Talk about one hell of a fight."

"This is such a cheesy show." Olivia moved her arm, using the tips of her fingers to pull the remote toward her on the coffee table. "Can't say I blame Maya too much."

"I had a chance to be like your dad," David confided, watching as Olivia flipped through channels. "Interviews with your best friends are expensive."

"Seriously?" Olivia snorted, tossing the remote and swinging her legs off David's at the sound of a knock on the door. Standing from the sofa, she ventured to the door.

"Your food, Liv. I gave the guy your tip." A balding, older man stood on the other side of the door with a bag of Chinese carryout in his hands.

"Thanks, Gary. You're the best." Olivia grinned, taking the bag from the man and shaking his hand before shutting the door again. She had been gone for a couple years, but the friendly apartment manager had remembered her well.

"Food is served," Olivia announced, reentering the living room and placing the bag of takeout on the table.

"Finally." David opened the bag, digging through the containers and haphazardly tossing Olivia an unopened pair of chopsticks.

"I'm going to miss this," Olivia commented, using her chopsticks to swirl the kung pao chicken around in its container.

"This is still going to happen, Liv. Maybe not as frequently...but we'll never stop being friends. Never stop doing friend things." David bumped his shoulder against hers.

"We were all supposed to go to college together," Olivia remarked, frowning slightly.

"You and Abs were going to be kickass lawyers and me… Well I still don't know what the fuck I'm doing," David laughed, clearing his throat and adjusting his glasses.

"Abby would've been the kickass lawyer. She always did win her arguments."

Silence filled the room as the two remincised on their sorely missed friend. For the first time since it had happened, though, they had mentioned the fiery redhead without crying.

"She would like Fitz, Liv. She'd have approved. Probably would've told you to keep him balanced and focused on making the kind of change he has the platform to make." David's smile was wistful.

"That...means a lot, David." Olivia swallowed, blinking rapidly. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Do you approve? Of Fitz?"

"I approve of anyone who makes you happy and doesn't hurt you, Liv. That's all one friend can wish for another."

* * *

"You sure he's going to be okay with this?" Olivia wondered, watching David lug her large, blue-green suitcase into the RV. It was considerably bigger than the backpack she had lugged back from NYC the day before.

"I don't see why he wouldn't. You can always call and ask." Margot stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Olivia, Sylvia perched on her hip. A white sunhat hid her head from the glaring sun.

"Not that I want to," Olivia mumbled, reaching into the back pocket of her jean shorts and pulling her phone free. Sighing, she ambled away from Margot - down the asphalt. Unlocking her phone screen, she hesitated, holding her finger above her dad's name before taking the plunge and tapping the screen.

"Liv?" Eli answered the phone in a whisper, prompting a frown from Olivia. What was he doing?

"Hey dad," Olivia greeted, "I was calling to see if it'd be okay if my friends and I took the RV for a week. A final road trip before college."

"You and Fitz? Of course you can borrow the RV!" Suddenly, Eli was loud and boisterous. That didn't sit well with Olivia.

"Fitz isn't here -"

"Yeah, yeah. No problem."

"Fitz is in Lon -"

"Yeah both of you have fun! I'd love to catch up before the two of you fly to the U.K., too." Eli's voice continued getting louder and Olivia could just imagine how he was peacocking before his colleagues - other writers who thought they were some God-given gift to literature.

"Thanks, dad," Olivia muttered, ending the phone call and slipping her phone back into her pocket. Wrapping her arms around herself, Olivia made her way back to her place beside her stepmother.

"How'd it go?" Margot inquired, taking her attention from the baby on her hip. Sylvia, unbothered by the conversation around her, continued her assault on her mother's hair.

"He wasn't alone."

"I'm sorry, Liv."

"Yeah, well. This is just the new normal, right? Dad pretending he's best friends with Fitz," Olivia rolled her eyes, sighing. "He kept talking like Fitz and I were the ones going on this trip."

"Whoever he's with, he wants them to think he's close to you two. Gives him bragging rights," Margot shook her head. "I'm sorry he's like this, Liv."

"Don't apologise for him, Margot." Dropping her arms, Olivia turned to look at her sister. Plastering a smile on her face, she cooed at the baby: "I'm going to miss you, Vi. I'll see you before I leave for London, though."

"Have fun on your trip." Margot wrapped an arm around Olivia, careful not to squish Sylvia between them. With a final kiss to Sylvia's cheek, Olivia was waving goodbye to her stepmother and stepsister and boarding the RV.

"Ready to go pick up the rest of the gang?" David asked from behind the wheel, a pair of Raybans covering his eyes.

"Yeah," Olivia nodded, walking past the driver and passenger seats to the sofa that sat against the wall. Flopping onto the grey sofa, she propped her legs over the edge of the arm. "Let's get going."

The drive to Quinn's house was short and it took even less time for Quinn, Huck, Hanna, and Zeke to board. Everyone sprawled out: Huck in the passenger seat beside David, controlling the GPS; Hanna and Quinn at the table across from Olivia's sofa, and Zeke napping on the bed in the back.

"He not sleep last night?" Olivia asked, tilting her head to glance in the direction of Zeke's snores.

"He and Huck played poker. All night." Quinn rolled her eyes, frowning at something on her phone. "So Fitz is on this trip with us, huh?"

"What?" Olivia snapped her attention to Quinn. "I don't think it's even been an hour since I talked to my dad."

"It's all over Twitter. _The Prince of Wales is on a secret roadtrip in California with his girlfriend_."

"My dad is pathetic," Olivia groaned, slapping a hand over her face. "If I'm lucky, Fitz will have plans this weekend and make my dad look like the liar he is."

"How about we play a game? Forget about this?" Quinn suggested. "I Spy?"

"Really?" Hanna frowned. "No thanks. I'm going to go take a nap, too."

"She's been acting weird," Olivia observed once Hanna was gone.

"Jealousy." Quinn watched Olivia stand from the sofa and take Hanna's now vacant seat across from her.

"Jealous?"

"Hanna's the materialistic one, Liv. You know that. Calling her Malibu Barbie in school was probably mean but...it was also true. She thinks she should be the one dating Fitz. This is like her fairy tale," Quinn snorted, opening her bag on the seat beside her and digging around until she produced a deck of cards.

"It's not a fairy tale," Olivia shrugged. "I love him and he's great, but I'm not ecstatic that he's a prince. It just adds a whole 'nother level of headaches."

"And that's Hanna's problem. She _wants _the title - not the love." Quinn began dealing cards, one at a time.

"Imagine that…" Olivia pursed her lips. "What are we playing, Quinn?"

"Egyptian Rat Screw." Quinn dealt the last card, squaring the pile of cards before her into a neat deck.

"I don't even remember how to play this," Olivia complained, squaring her own pile up.

"Bull! You'll probably still beat her like you used to all of us," David's voice floated to the girls from the front of the RV.

* * *

"It's so fucking beautiful."

"So are you."

Olivia smiled over the top of the square glass in her hand, burning liquid sliding down her throat, at the cute exchange before her. Quinn was smiling, blushing, at Huck's intense gaze. The two were adorable. Meant to be. It made Olivia happy.

"We have a perfectly good RV right there and you all decided on tents," Hanna was still grumpling, pacing between the row of trees just past their campsite. She had lost the argument earlier - refusing to help pitch the tents they had brought.

"Aw. Nature isn't going to kill you, princess." David shouldered his way past Hanna, dumping his collected sticks into the metal fire ring at the campsite.

"Statistics are on our side," Zeke stated, dumping his own pile of sticks once David had moved out of the way. "Just don't fuck with nature and nature won't fuck with you."

"That's not always true," Quinn pointed out, calling back to the group from her semi-secluded area between two fir trees. Huck held her hands between his, his expression unreadable so far away. "But yeah, generally speaking."

"See!" Hanna crossed her arms, a smug expression on her face.

"Not helping, Quinn," Olivia laughed, resting her glass on her knee. "You can sleep in the RV if you want, Han. Maybe you'll get lucky and no one will kidnap you while you're all alone. In the big, scary woods."

"Kidnap me?" Hanna frowned, dropping her arms and glancing around the trees that obscured their view of the surrounding area.

"Hey, serial killers like the woods for some twisted reason," David agreed.

"Harder for people to hear their victims scream?" Huck postulated from his position.

"Nah. Harder to find the bodies," Quinn corrected.

"Guys, seriously?" Hanna furiously rubbed at her arm, biting her lip.

"Ya know: statistics wise," Olivia smirked. "Let's see…Edmund Kemper. Gary Ridgway. Jerry Brudos. Ted Bundy. Ed Gein was kind of in the woods...Definitely secluded."

With each name, Olivia held up a finger - a pensive look on her face. Hanna swallowed hard, her mouth falling open as she took a deep breath.

"Alright. Alright! I'll sleep out here with you guys, but can we please stop talking about serial killers?"

"Depends," Zeke drawled. "Are you going to stop being irrational?"

"And a bitch," David muttered, catching Olivia's gaze as she bit her tongue - anything to keep from laughing out right.

"Just...which tent am I sleeping in?"

"You, me, and Quinn are in that one." Olivia pointed to the orange tent on her right.

Hanna nodded, trudging across the ground and throwing the flap of the tent open. After she had disappeared inside, Olivia let her laughter go.

"She kills me." Olivia widened her eyes.

"I didn't miss that," David deadpanned, shaking his head.

"You used to love picking on Han," Olivia reminded him, raising her glass to her lips.

"And she used to not be so bitchy."

"It's a hard time for her right now," Zeke confided, reaching into the cooler near Olivia's chair and tossing a beer to David. Sitting in the chair across from the two, Zeke popped the bottle cap off. "She's a little upset she didn't get to Fitz first."

"Did everyone just know that she wanted to fuck Fitz _except_ me?" Olivia tossed her empty hand in the air, huffing.

"I don't think she cared too much about fucking him…" Zeke shook his head, "Just the title."

"Just let her marry him, have the title, and you can keep seeing him," David laughed. "Problem solved."

"One: we're not engaged. I really wish people would stop talking like we're getting married soon," Olivia rolled her eyes. "Two: what the what?"

"Hanna would be happy being a trophy wife. She just wants the money and title that comes with marrying big, Liv. She could care less if her husband cheated." Zeke shrugged, sipping at his drink.

"Well that's real shallow." Olivia's eyes darted, unbidden, to the closed flap of the tent.

"That's because she is." David's expression mirrored Zeke's as he nodded in agreement: completely confident in their assessment.

"Thank small miracles Fitz met you first. He's anything but shallow," Zeke asserted. "She's almost as bad as that Mellie chick."

"You've met Mellie?" Olivia's attention was back on her friends in her immediate vicinity.

"Nope. Just seen the texts she's sent Fitz and listened to him bitch about her. Almost made me reconsider my ways. That's one crazy chick." Zeke shuddered, his whole body moving.

"Ex-girlfriend?" David wondered.

"More like ex-fuck buddy," Olivia corrected.

"Running into a crazy chick like that almost makes you reconsider having fuck buddies," Zeke laughed.

"He was a player?" David raised a brow.

"Runs in the family," Zeke smirked before Olivia could speak.

"Was, David, not is. You can't tell me you were a saint before you started dating Abs."

"I was a virgin."

"Bullshit!" Both Olivia and Zeke exclaimed at the barely suppressed smile on David's face.

"Why is David's virginity even a topic?" Quinn gagged, entering the circle of friends and taking her spot to Olivia's vacant side. "Bring the marshmallows!"

"Marshmallows, scotch, graham crackers, chocolate. Anything else?" Huck rattled off the list Quinn had apparently given him.

"Not that I can think. And that would be because David is trying to maintain an image of saintly hood." Olivia rolled her eyes.

"Yeah...no," David shook his head, placing his beer in the chair's cup holder and standing. "I'll help you, Huck."

"Chicken!" Olivia stated.

"Weirdo," David countered, tossing a hand in the air and giving a short wave before trekking back toward the parked RV with Huck.

"I'm gonna miss this," Olivia grinned, leaning sideways over her chair and resting her head on Quinn's shoulder. The late afternoon sunset was perfect - this trip with her friends, despite the hiccups, was perfect. Bittersweet though it was…

And she couldn't wait for her next chapter.


End file.
